Important School Events: First Day of School -- Country Trends

Figure 1.--Here we see an American boy about to begin school at his parochial school in 1982. Notice his Superman lunch box. Most early first dasy photiographs were taken at home. In the late 20th century, we see more being taken when the children wee ceing dropped at school.

Childrenn in different contries often were outfitted very differently for their first day of school. Often moms bought new clothes for each new school year. This was especially the case in the 19th and early-20th century while there were significant county differences in children fashions from country to country. Curiously, one commion phenomenon around the world is that we do not see these photographs being taken until after the turn-of-the 20th century. A major factor here was the appearance abd proliferation of the family snapshot. This makes these school images especially imprtant. We often get to see the homes from which the children came, providing valuable sociological information. It was often possible to discern the nationlity of the children based on how they are dressed. In the late-20h century a kind of standard European fashion developed meaning gthis was no longer possible. Some but not all of these differences have declined in the modern day. When we began working on this subject we were thinking about photographs taken by parents outside thrir homes before semding their children off the school on their big day. We have since noticed pictures taken at the schools showing how the children were received and first introduced to school. This is a little more complicated today when many children attend pre-school than was the case before World War II when the vast majority of children began school at about 6-years of age.

America

We see many photographs of American children setting off on their first day of school. Unlike Germany, these are mostly family snapshots because so many Anericans had cameras. We have found reatively few studio portrits. We mostly see family snaspshots. This makes these school images especially imprtant. We often get to see the homes from which the children came, providing valuable sociological information. Most of the images we have found come from the period beginning with the inter-War era following World War I. In Germany we think this accorded with the importance given to education. In America it was more of a write of passage. There was not much imagination given to creating these images. The kidos just stood outside the home in their new school clothes, often with books and a lunch box. Back packs only became common after World War II. Many American children remember being dressed up in a new pair of short pants or corduroy knickers for their first day of school. This began to change and by the mid-1950s, boys were increasingly beginning school in long pants. Gradually this changed again and in the 1980s in again became common for boys to wear short pants to school, but not just the younger boys beginning school. We still see mostly snapshots, but parents give more thought to the photographs like holding up some kind of sign. And many parents have gone much further.

England

Almost all English boys began school grey short pants and kneesocks. Boys beginnig state elementary schools generally did not wear uniforms, but simple unifomscof jumpers, shots, and kneesocks were adopted by many primary schools in the 1960s. Sandals were commobly worn, especially by the younger children. Boys beginning prep schools would often be more formally kitted out in a cap, blazer tie, shorts, kneesocks with clored bands at the top and sandals.

Germany

It is a German tradition on a child's first day of school in many countries to take a photograph. Education was very important in Germany, before the NAZIS probably more important than any other country. And we don't know of any ciuntry where it was so widespread to take a first day portrait. Sometimes this was done formally, but more common a snapshot was taken at home. The photographs show not only the child's clothing and in Germany the traditional gift cone or ("Zuckertute") This tradition is less formal today, although children are much photographed than ever before. German boys often wore sailor suits to school on their first day as this was such a popular style for boys, especially younger boys. Many other styles were also worn. Commonly they were short pants outfits until long pants began to be more popular in the 1960s.

France

Italy

Many Italian boys remember beginning school in a smock with a large white collar amd bow. The collar and bow are now not as common, but many younger Italian boys still begin school in smocks.

Japan

The First Day ceremony is a formal event and everyone commonly dresses up for it. We notice different options here, but we are not sure which are the most prevalent or how they have varied over time. At many schools the new boys wear suits and the girls dresses for the ceremony. For many boys these suits are purchased especially for the occassion. This may be the case at schools which do not have uniforms. Some schools have uniforms and the children wear their new uniforms. At schools without uniforms the boys commonly dress up in new suits. As far as we can tell, the boys' suits are almost always short pants suits. I assume the same is true for the girls' dresses, but I am less sure about this. This occurs even at schools where there is no uniform and he children wear casul clothes. Parents also dress up for the ceremony. The parents almost always dressup, an indication of the importance of the event. Fathers wear business suits. Mothers dress variously. Many wear Western dresses, but we see quite a number of the mothers at some schools wearing kimonos.

Russia

The first day of school was September 1 or the first week day after September 1. We do not know when First Day celebrations were important events. We are not sure about the Tsarist era, but it was a major event in the old Soviet Union and continues to be so today. We note celebrations in the 1970s. Here we see a First Day celebration about 1880 (figure 1). One traveler reported in on September 1, 2000, 'Children!' they were children. Literally hundreds, and carrying bundles of flowers. Little girls dressed in black dresses and white tights, white frilly decorations rising 30cm from their heads, plaits shiny and neat. Boys no higher than my hips in ties and bow ties, hair wet, slicked back so that their fresh young scalps were visible. Hair even cut." In Soviet days the boys would have been wearing brand new military-styled uniforms. The girls wore white hair bows, blue dresses, and crisply starched white pinafores. There are no longer uniforms in Russian schools, but many of the the beginning

South Africa

South African parents like parents in other countries often take photographs on their children's first day of school. We do have some first day portraits which provide useful view of school uniforms and clothing over time. South African children seem to begin school at about 6 years of age. These first day portraits over time provide an interesting view of changing school trends. The first schools in South Africa were for Europeam children. Some mussionary schools appeared for the African children, but fir the most part African children went uneducated untilv well into the 20th century. Public schools werecevebtually founded for non white children, both colored abd blacks. Colored mwan asiabn children, but gthe schools gor non-whire children were poorly funded. As aesult of this and the povert of the African population, nost of the school images we have found are of white children. Skince the end of Apartheid (1994), conditiions have improved, but the images we have found are still mostly of white children. Schools in South Africa include both uniform and non uniform schools. The uniforms as was common throughout the Empire were British style uniforms.. We seeb both in the photograpic recvord. And we a range of images, including photographs taken by the parent at home and dropping the children off at school as well as how the new childrenn are recived at school. We do not know of any special ceremony or practice at school associated with the beginning of school in South Adrica. Most South African school traditions are based on British schools.

Created: 9:55 PM 3/13/2023
Last updated: 9:55 PM 3/13/2023