Sound the bell—we’ve got a pop quiz to test your knowledge about back-to-school traditions around the world. Sharpen your pencil, and see if you can make the grade!
1. In Japan, what special item do students traditionally receive on their first day of elementary school?
a. New shoes
b. A randoseru or backpack
c. A white ribbon
d. A red gift envelope filled with money
2. What do students in Ukraine traditionally give to their teachers on the first day of school?
a. Chocolates
b. Flowers
c. Apples
d. School supplies
3. In Germany, students receive a “Schultüte” on the first day of school. What is it?
a. A new uniform
b. A school poem
c. A large cone-shaped package filled with sweets, small toys and school supplies
d. A personal handshake and greeting with the principal
4. In the Indian state of Kerala, what gift might students receive during “Praveshanolsavam,” or back-to-school ceremonies?
a. Frozen fruit dipped in honey
b. Pencil cases
c. Umbrellas
d. Stuffed animals
5. Which country’s students participate in the “First Day Walk” with their parents and enjoy rye bread, berries, and milk for breakfast?
a. Sweden
b. Finland
c. Poland
d. Canada
6. Families in South Korea celebrate the first day of school with a big family feast. This dish, however, which is normally associated with good luck, is often avoided on high-stakes academic days.
a. Miyeokguk, seaweed soup
b. Tonkatsu, breaded pork cutlet
c. Tteokbokki, spicy rice cakes
d. Anything with eggs
7. In which month do Australian students typically return to school after summer break?
a. January
b. March
c. September
d. November
8. In which country would you expect to find primary school students wearing a garment called a grembiule?
a. Spain
b. Poland
c. Italy
d. France
9. In South Korea, students swap these two things upon entering the school building:
a. Shoes for indoor slippers
b. Money for a lunch ticket
c. The day’s completed homework assignments for a fresh carnation
d. School uniform coats for indoor smocks
10. In the fantasy world of Harry Potter, how do first-year students arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry make the journey from Hogsmeade Station to the castle and their dormitories?
a. By port key
b. By flue powder
c. By carriages
d. By boat
Answers
- Randoseru is derived from the Dutch word ransel, meaning backpack. Expensive and durable, they are designed to be used throughout students’ entire primary school years, from grades 1 to 6.
- It’s a cherished Ukrainian tradition for students to give flowers to their teachers on Knowledge Day, which marks the start of the school year.
- The German word Schultüte translates literally as “school cone,” which is filled with gifts to start the school year. The tradition originated in the early 19th century.
- Owing to the start of the academic year coinciding with the monsoon season, many Indian students receive a back-to-school umbrella.
- Students in Finland enjoy a laid-back return to school, including a traditional breakfast of rye bread, berries and milk, followed by the “First Day Walk” with parents (more of a stroll, actually; there’s no hard-and-fast rule about when to arrive, just come as you please).
- Miyeokguk, a seaweed soup dish, or any slippery foods are avoided before important occasions, such as school exams, because of the belief that the texture could lead to slipping or failing. Sticky rice is a much better choice!
- In the land down under, seasons are reversed. Summer break for students ends in January (or early February in some states).
- The grembiule—a school smock—is worn by elementary school children in Italy. Students sometimes pin colored ribbons to their grembiule to indicate their class.
- To keep Korean schools clean and comfortable, shoes worn outside are traded for slippers or indoor shoes (“sillaehwa”).
- While upper-level students are conveyed in carriages pulled by invisible mythical creatures called thestrals, first-year students are led to the docks by groundskeeper Hagrid to board driverless boats.