Can Someone Help with 2 Danish or Swedish Nursery Rhymes? We Have a Recording of Them!

Lori wrote: Dear Mama Lisa, I am so excited to find this website because I have been searching for many years to find out about two Danish or Swedish nursery rhymes (you can listen to them by clicking the link). My mother’s beloved grandfather, Lars Christensen, used to bounce her on his knee and recite these [...]

Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group

We'd love it if you'd join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you'd like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and [...]

Danish Kids Songs Sites plus a Danish Children's Song

Richard wrote to me recommending a Danish kids song site… Hi On this web page Rimogremser.dk there are several Danish kids songs with midi files. Thanks for a good a good web-site ;) Best regards Richard Thanks for the recommendation Richard. The site is nice! It has cool line drawings to go with most of the songs and tunes [...]

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Around the World

Shirley emailed me looking for different versions of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Here's what she wrote: I am desperately seeking 3-4-5 versions (songs) of Itsy Bitsy Spider for an around the world float. Shame on me I left that chore until last and now I am having trouble. I've gotten English and Spanish. Please [...]

Can anyone help with a Danish Nursery Rhyme?

Tim wrote: Can anyone help with a Danish Nursery Rhyme called “Madiesen”? I am unsure about the spelling. Apparently it is about a young boy riding a pig and falling through the ice. Thanks, Tim If anyone can help with the Danish lyrics, and/or an English translation, please comment below. Thanks! Lisa Share on Facebook and other services:

The Symbolism of the Egg

As Easter approaches, it's natural to think a little about eggs! In days gone by the egg, due to its shape, was a symbol of the earth. Thanks to its obvious association with the beginning of life, it has also been the basis of many ancient creation stories. It has been a symbol [...]

Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years

In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Years Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings. These symbols seem to fall into several major categories. The first class symbolizes financial prosperity. This type of food is round like coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, [...]

A Santa Lucia Day Song and Saying, plus why it's a Festival of Light

Several days ago I wrote a post about the Santa Lucia holiday in Sweden and Scandinavia. A popular saying associated with this holiday is: Lucy Light, The Shortest day & The Longest Night. This saying celebrates the association of St Lucia's Day, December 13, with the Winter Solstice which, under the old Julian calendar, used to fall [...]

St. Lucia's Day in Sweden and Scandinavia

Santa Lucia's Day is celebrated on December 13th in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. It commemorates the life of Santa Lucia, who is also known as Saint Lucy. St. Lucy was born in Syracuse, Sicily around 283 and died in 303 AD. The myth is that her parents wanted her to marry a man [...]

Can Anyone Help with the Danish Song “Hun ska leve”?

Doug wrote: Mama Lisa, I am in USA but our family still sings a song called hun ska leve. This is a traditional Danish song. Does anyone know where to get lyrics and music for this traditional song? Please let me know. Thanks, Doug Hansen If anyone can help out with this song, please comment below or email me. Thanks! -Lisa Share [...]