Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Teaching Family History With Back-to-School Traditions


As a child, going back-to-school shopping was one of the most anticipated days of the year. My younger sister and I would make a list of all the school supplies that we needed and present them to my mom, who would always chuckle and put them in her purse until the long-awaited day. When the day finally came, it felt like Christmas. Upon entering Walmart, we would rush to the back-to-school section of the store where the fun would commence. It was always a madhouse with children running every direction, holding backpacks and binders and lunch boxes, staking claim on the trendiest ones. There was typically at least one child crying over an out-of-stock binder or a set of pens that were too expensive. Despite all the chaos, there was something magical about it. The feeling of summer being over and a new phase of life beginning was pure bliss for my young self.  

The excitement of back-to-school shopping is what sparked my love for school when I was a child and is a tradition that I want to pass on to my children. Likewise, German parents give their children a special gift bag to aid in igniting the passion for education. This tradition is called a Schultüte School Bag. On the first day of school, German children receive this bag filled with books, pens, toys and candy. It is given by parents to help them feel important and loved on this special day. 

What are your back to school traditions? How do you keep them alive from one generation to the next? 

If you don't have any back-to-school traditions, start them now! Learn how to make your own Schultüte bags in the link below.




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