These are the sugar cone trends

Unicorns, horses and dinosaurs are persistently found on the school bags of new school starters, as are soccer, cars and police. But when tens of thousands of first-graders soon receive their eagerly awaited school bags for school enrolment, there will also be new motifs on them.

"The gaming theme is becoming more present," says Christiane Beck from manufacturer Nestler in the Erzgebirge. Custom-made products with a picture of the first day of school and the start date are also in greater demand.

Manufacturers such as Nestler or Roth in Lichtentanne near Zwickau develop a number of new motifs in different designs every year. This is because there are several school cones for every new school starter - often for guests or to decorate the first day of school party.

In addition to the evergreens, which are redesigned again and again, it is also important to track down new trends. The success of movies plays a major role in this.

School cone in Minecraft look

This year's bestseller is a cone in pixel graphics with the title "Block Game", explains sugar cone manufacturer Lukas Roth. The motif is reminiscent of the computer game Minecraft, which also attracted many people to the cinemas this year with a movie. Demand was so high that the cone was sold out at times, says Roth. The new "Jurassic World" film has also rekindled interest in dinosaur motifs, adds designer Beck.

The custom of sweetening the start of school for children with sugar cones is only practised in German-speaking countries, according to the manufacturers. They therefore sell the cones primarily in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

According to Nestler, more than 2 million bags are sold every year, Roth speaks of a "mid-six-figure number". As a symbol of the start of a new chapter in life, sugar cones are now also popular as gifts for other occasions, explains Beck. For example, for passing a driving test or on retirement.

In the East, the sugar cones are bigger - and square

School starters in East Germany generally get the bigger cones. According to manufacturers, some differences between East and West have persisted to this day. For example, 85-centimetre square bags are preferred in the east, while 70-centimetre round bags are more popular in the west. In southern Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia, they are often made and designed by the customers themselves. Manufacturers have blanks and craft kits on offer for this purpose.

While the children starting school still have their big day ahead of them, the companies are already looking ahead to next year. New development begins in January of the previous year, explains Roth. Before the new bags go into production, however, Advent calendars are first produced in Lichtentanne. At Nestler in Ehrenfriedersdorf, fillable cardboard Easter eggs have taken the place of sugar cones for the time being.