School enrollment in Northern Saxony: 1865 first graders are looking forward to the start!

School enrollment in Northern Saxony: 1865 first graders are looking forward to the start!

In Northern Saxony, the exciting time for many families begins today, August 10, 2025: starting school. In Delitzsch and Schkeuditz, numerous first graders celebrated their big day with festive ceremonies and colorful sugar cones. At the Peter and Paul primary school in Delitzsch, the school enrollment took place ceremoniously in the church, where Pastor Stephan Pecusa accompanied the children into the new phase of life with music and a blessing. Parents and relatives were invited to share this special moment with their children.

Traditionally, the colorful sugar bags containing sweets, pens and school materials were handed over to the newcomers by older students. This tradition, which comes from Central Germany and was started around 200 years ago, has established itself as an integral part of the start of school in German-speaking countries, including Austria and Switzerland. Every year around two million sugar cones in a wide variety of designs are manufactured in Germany. Current trends show that Disney characters such as Elsa from “Frozen” and the Minions are particularly popular, while the classic bag is still decorated with fairy-tale heroes, horses and cats, as MDR.de reports that ....

A look at the numbers

This year, a total of 1,865 children started school in Northern Saxony - a slight decrease compared to the 1,881 first graders last year. These ceremonies are not only perceived as a celebratory turning point in family history, but are also an opportunity to make it easier for children to start school life and to allay their fear of the unknown.

In Schkeuditz-Wehlitz there was also a moving celebration at the Thomas Müntzer primary school, where 51 new students were warmly welcomed by headmistress Elke Koller. The highlight of this ceremonial school enrollment was a mini-lesson in which the children not only opened their sugar bags, but also came into contact with their new teachers for the first time. Parents and children were thrilled and joy shone on the faces of the newcomers.

International context

School enrollment has its own traditions in many countries. In Japan e.g. B. the school year begins in spring, the students wear uniforms and are ceremoniously welcomed. In Russia, on the other hand, it is customary to give flowers to teachers on the first day of school, which is done similarly in Ukraine. Although other customs and rituals exist in many countries, the school cone is a very special tradition that is only widespread in the German-speaking world - a reminder of how diverse and colorful starting school is celebrated in different cultures, as also reported by Weser-Kurier reports, that…

While the first graders in Delitzsch, Schkeuditz and other places in northern Saxony are now starting lessons in their home groups, the anticipation remains for the new adventures and friendships that the school year will bring with it. It is the beginning of a chapter that will be filled with very special memories.