Happy New Year!

Image by Farah Eliane (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Image: Schulteute by Farah Eliane (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Yes, today is the first day of the New Year on the Orthodox (Eastern) Liturgical Calendar. Across much of the world, it is also the first official day of school.

In many cultures, there are charming traditions to celebrate the beginning of studies. A favorite of mine comes in the shape of a cone known as the Schultütte. These are oversized school “cones” stuffed with school supplies and treats that younger kids carry to their first class. For that matter, when a child gets too grownup for the Schultütte, that too is celebrated as a rite of passage.

There’s a particularly beautiful tradition in Russia where children take bouquets of flowers to their teachers on the first day of class. Imagine how fragrant the classrooms will be during that initial week! This flower tradition exists in many Slavic countries and it’s one we followed with our own kids (Russian adoptees) when they were young. I always looked forward to our daughter’s reports on how pleased her new teachers were with the bouquets, and how befuddled the other kids were as to why she was bringing the teacher flowers.

When I think back on my own childhood, the new (stiff) pair of saddle oxfords signified the first day of school. Ouch! I also remember looking forward to the return of the elaborate carrot curls, which my mother made with an old-fashioned potato peeler as my favorite after-school snack. These fanciful treats dropped away during the summer, making their glorious reappearance only once school started.

Whether your child is in a traditional school or homeschooled, there are likely traditions you’ve developed to celebrate the first day of study. We sometimes wonder if the kids will remember these things when they grow up, yes? But they do. And they will carry them on with their own children. Such traditions indeed build a treasure chest of memories that will strengthen them as they go forth into their future lives. So let’s rejoice in this Happy New Year.