Mother’s Day in Mexico is called Día de las Madres in Spanish. It’s held on May 10th every year. The evening of the 9th is also important. Grown children are expected to spend the evening before Mother’s Day with their Moms too.

Many Mexican mothers wake up to their children singing Las Mañanitas to them. Las Mañanitas is a song that’s also sung on birthdays.

Here are the lyrics to Las Mañanitas in Spanish, with an English translation and an mp3 so you can hear it sung…

MP3 of Las Mañanitas

Las Mañanitas

Éstas son las mañanitas
Que cantaba el rey David
Y en el día de tu santo
Te las cantamos a ti.

Despierta mi bien despierta
mira que ya amaneció
Ya los pajaritos cantan
La luna ya se metió

English Translation:

These are the little mornings,
That King David used to sing,
And on the Day of your Saint,
We sing them to you.

Wake up, my dear, wake up!
Look, it’s already dawning,
The little birds are already singing,
The moon has gone away.

Finally, according to Karen Hursh Graber of the site Mexican Hot or …Not, “One of the most charming customs of all is that practiced in many Mexican churches, the early morning singing of Las Mañanitas and distribution of tamales and atole to all the local moms.”

Atole is a special Mexican hot chocolate.

You can visit Karen’s page for recipes of some of the foods made for Mother’s Day breakfast in Mexico.

You can visit my Mexican Song Pages for a long version of Las Mañanitas and other Mexican songs.

Many thanks to Celia Andrés for singing Las Mañanitas for us!

I know lots of people are looking for poems for Mother’s Day, so I’ve been on a search to post as many as I can find. Here’s a sweet one by George Cooper (1838-1927) called Only One Mother. Some people use just the second verse…

Only One Mother

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

Soon it’ll be Mothers’ Day in France. This year it’s on May 25th. Usually teachers have their students learn a poem. One they often select is by Pierre Gamarra and is called Je te souhaite – I Wish You…

You can click on the link above to read the French version. Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français sent me this English translation:

I Wish You…

I wish you a day of velvet,
Of iris, of lily and periwinkle,
A day of leaves and branches,
A day and then another day…

A day of wheat, a day of vines,
A day of figs, of Muscat grapes,
A day of delicate grapes,
A day of doves, of swans…

I wish you a day of diamonds,
Of sapphire and of china,
A day of lilac and of wool,
A day of silk, oh my mommy!

And yet another day,
Light, light, another day
Till the end of my love,
A dawn and then a dawn.

For my love for you, my mother,
Can never end,
Like the shaking of the trees
Like the sky, like the sea…

To all you moms out there, wherever you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this year, enjoy!

Mama Lisa

Many thanks to Monique Palomares for sharing this poem with us!

Check out this following link if you’re looking for more poems in French about Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day (in French only).

If you would like to share any Mother’s Day or Father’s Day poems or songs from your land, please email me. -Lisa

In many countries around the world, Mother’s Day is in May.

Below is a quaint poem I found called “My Mother”. It was written by Ann Taylor (1783 –1866). She’s the sister of Jane Taylor, the author of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Ann and Jane published books of rhymes and poems together.

The illustrations below were done by Walter Crane. Here’s what Crane wrote about it in 1910:

“My Mother” is mid-Victorian—just after crinolines had gone out—but mothers are always in fashion, bless them…

Crinolines are so old-fashioned that many of us in the 21st century are no longer familiar with the word! Crinolines were hoop petticoats worn under skirts to give them a wide round shape. They were often made out of steel to support and widen the look of the skirt. Ladies, let’s all be glad we’re not too familiar with this word!

So here’s the poem with Cranes sweet illustrations…

My Mother

Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hush’d me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother.

When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sung sweet hushaby,
And rock’d me that I should not cry?
My Mother.

Who sat and watched my infant head,
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.

Who dress’d my doll in clothes so gay,
And taught me pretty how to play.
And minded all I had to say?
My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray,
And love God’s holy book and day.
And walk in Wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who was so very kind to me?
My Mother

Ah, no! the thought I cannot bear;
And if God please my life to spare,
I hope I shall reward thy care,
My Mother.

Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old, and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away.
My Mother.

And when I see thee hang thy head,
’Twill be my turn to watch thy bed.
And tears of sweet affection shed,
My Mother.

For God, who lives above the skies,
Would look with vengeance in His eyes,
If I should ever dare despise
My Mother.

[Note from Mama Lisa: Taylor later softened the last verse, changing it to the following.]

For could our Father in the skies
Look down with pleased or loving eyes,
If ever I could dare despise
My Mother.

Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français (our site devoted to children’s songs around the world with their French translations) sent me this short post about public holidays in France in May…

It’s too bad for French people this year! Usually, May 1st and Ascension Day are separate public holidays, but this year Ascension Day falls on May 1st. So French people only get the one holiday off.

Ascension Day is a Christian Holiday that celebrates when Jesus is believed to have ascended bodily into Heaven (40 days after his resurrection).

May 1st is Labor Day in France. We give our family, friends etc. a sprig of lily-of-the-valley as a good luck charm if we visit them.

On May 8th, we celebrate the surrender of Nazi Germany – which was the end of WWII for us. The mayor of each town places flowers at the foot of the Monument to the Dead in each town. The president of the Republic places one on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Come read a previous post about Why May 1st is Labor Day Around the World (Its origin stems in US history).

Bettina wrote to me asking about a song:

20 years ago I was in Sale, Manchester as an Au Pair. Lorraine, the Mom in “my” family sometimes sang this song to her two boys Zac and Jake when they had their bath. I have never seen or heard it since then. Can anyone tell me something about this song? I didn’t ask her at the time and they don’t live at the address from back then anymore so I can’t ask her now.

Here it comes:

A mother was bathing her baby,
Bathing her baby one day.
The mother was fat, and the baby was thin,
Just like a skeleton wrapped up in skin.

She only turned ‘round for a minute,
To fetch some soap of the rag.
She only turned ‘round for a minute,
But oh when she turned back…

The baby had gone down the plughole,
The baby had gone down the plug.
He wasn’t too small to be bathed at all,
But should have been bathed in a jug.

Now sailing away down the drainpipe,
Happy as happy can be,
Sailing away down the drainpipe,
Into the deep blue sea.

I hope to get wiser on this quite dramatic song.

Bettina Damm
Sydals, Denmark

If anyone knows anything about this song, please let us know about it in the comments below. If anyone would like to sing this song for us, we’d love to hear it!

Thanks in advance!

Mama Lisa

Guest blogger Ed Gawlinski sent me this short post about celebrations in May…

On May 5th a lot of people in the United States are going to have tacos or burritos for lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. On May 5th of 1862 Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a French invasion of Mexico in the Battle of Puebla.

However, I would also suggest that before that, on May 3rd you plan a dinner of Kiełbasa i Kapusta (sausage and cabbage) to celebrate Constitution Day. In 1791 the Polish Sejm (congress) proclaimed Poland’s first written constitution. This makes Poland the first country in Europe and the second country in the world to establish a government based on a written constitution. The United States was the first and France was the third.

I would also suggest that on May 17th you have some tomatsuppe med macaroni, that would be Norwegian-style tomato soup. On that date in 1814, the Constitution of Norway was signed and the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.

Many people know the song Sur le pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon). During my recent trip to France, I was lucky enough to see the actual bridge that the song is about.

Here is what the real Bridge of Avignon looks like…

Though the words to the song are about dancing on the bridge, if you were to actually try to dance across it, you’d end up in the river! This bridge is broken – and is actually only partially there!

The bridge was first built in the 12th century. However, the Rhone River beneath it kept damaging it. It was repaired and rebuilt many times. Finally, in the 1600’s they gave up and stopped fixing it.

You can still visit it today, as we did last month. I’ve been humming the song ever since!

Avignon was also the site of the papacy during the “Babylonian Captivity” of the fourteenth century. Today, the impressive palace where the Popes resided is open to the public. Here’s a photo of it…

Here are the lyrics to Sur le pont d’Avignon in French, with an English translation and the midi tune…

Midi Tune of Sur le pont d’Avignon

Sur le pont d’Avignon
(French)

Refrain
Sur le pont d’Avignon
On y danse, on y danse
Sur le pont d’Avignon
On y danse tout en rond

1 Les beaux messieurs font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.

Refrain

2 Les belles dames font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.

Refrain.

On the Bridge of Avignon
(English Translation)

Chorus
On the bridge of Avignon
They are dancing, they are dancing,
On the bridge of Avignon
They are dancing all around.

1 The handsome gentlemen go this way,
And then again go that way.

Chorus

2 The pretty dames go this way,
And then again go that way.

Chorus.

Many thanks to Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français for the midi tune and to Calvin Pomerantz for the second photo of the Bridge of Avignon!

Come visit the Song Page of Sur le pont d’Avignon for sheet music, a Spanish translation and other information about this song.

Mama Lisa

In my last post I mentioned that sticker books are a good way for kids to pass time on a plane. They’re also good for doctor appointments and any other situation where kids have to wait.

My daughter particularly loves the series of sticker books put out by Barnes and Noble. Each book is on a different subject and has 200 stickers. The books also give facts about the subject. They can be about Dinosaurs, Horses, Bugs, Pets, etc. Your child has to find where in the book the sticker belongs. Younger kids may need your help. It can be a fun activity to do with little ones. I’d say these books are good for kids from 3 to 8 years old.

Here are links to a couple of the sticker books my daughter enjoyed doing:

You can buy some of these sticker books at Barnes and Noble’s online store. Though they have a larger selection in their actual retail stores.

The other series of books that are wonderful when you have to wait is I-Spy. In the I Spy books, you search for specific objects in a sea of many objects. You can see what I mean if you follow through the “search inside” link on one of the books below. Both of my children have enjoyed these books. They’re particularly good to do together while waiting in the doctor or dentist’s office. They’re good for kids aged 4 to 10. (They have simple board book versions for younger kids.)

Here are a couple of the ones we have:

If you forget to bring the book with you, you can play the I-Spy game while waiting. One of you says, “I spy with my little eye…” and then you give a hint about something you see in the room and the other person has to guess what it is. For example, if it’s a calendar, you can say, “I spy with my little eye something with a lot of numbers on it.” Then if the other person guesses correctly, they’ll say, “A calendar!” Then it’s the other person’s turn.

Feel free to let us know in the comments below about anything you do with your children, students, or grandkids to pass the time when you have to wait.

-Mama Lisa

We brought our kids along during our recent trip to Europe. It was great having them with us and they really enjoyed it. But traveling with children is not always easy. Here’s some tips, based on our experience:

1) Bring snacks like granola bars (you probably want to avoid high sugar snacks that would hype them up!).

2) Don’t bring drinks since you’ll be forced to throw them out at security.

3) Bring a handheld electronic game if your child has one – like a Gameboy. That can keep kids amused for hours! My husband brought his laptop and played Chess with our teenaged son. That kept them busy for a couple of hours till their power ran out.

4) For younger kids, bring sticker books. That kept my daughter occupied for an hour or two during the flight there and back.

5) If your kid likes to draw, bring a pad of paper with pencils, crayons, and/or markers.

6) Make sure older kids have a book or magazine. Some preteens and teenagers like Sudoku or puzzle books to pass the time. Younger kids can bring a couple of their favorite books too.

7) We had problems with the headphones the airlines provided. So if you have an extra pair at home, you may want to bring them on the trip to make sure your child can hear the movie or TV shows that are on.

8) If you have a long flight overseas, you may want to pack a little stuffed animal that your child likes. It may help him or her sleep. It was nice for our six year old to have it on the trip. She carried her stuffed pony all throughout the subways of Paris!

9) If it’s at all possible, try to fly non-stop. That way you don’t have to go through the hassle of getting on and off the plane more than once. Plus, you and your kids will be spared the possible discomfort in your ears of an extra take-off and landing.

It’s a good idea to have your children pack a backpack for the trip with some amusements of their choice.

Feel free to let us know about any tips you have for air travel (or travel in general) with children in the comments below.

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Europe with our two kids. We flew with American Airlines. I haven’t flown for awhile, so I was surprised to find that almost the whole ticketing process was done electronically or by phone.

When we ordered them (by phone) we were told we wouldn’t receive actual tickets. Instead we were given a number that we could use to access our flight information online. When we got to the airline, we would need that number, plus our passports.

Fortunately, my mother-in-law warned us to go online as quickly as possible to choose our seats. She told us about a great site called seatguru.com where you can put in the model of the plane and it will tell you which are good seats.

When I went to the American Airlines site to check out our seats, I found that they had put us in some of the worst: in one of the last rows on the plane near the bathrooms. Don’t choose those seats! (I had them once a long time ago and they were noisy and smelly.) I changed our seats. The new ones put us in two rows, one in front of the other, next to the window. We wanted both of our kids to have window seats for the view. It was a thrill for them! I chose similar seats for the flight back.

About two weeks before our trip I was notified that our flight back was canceled and we were switched to an earlier flight on the same day. I rushed to the American Airlines site to check our new seats. They had the four of us scattered in different seats around the plane. There weren’t many choices for seats left. I was able to get three of us together in the center aisle in the middle 3 seats, and the other seat in the middle of the center aisle about 5 rows further up. This wasn’t a great situation since we wanted to keep our family together on the flight.

I mentioned the problem to a neighbor of ours who’s also a stewardess. She told us to try to get on the aisle for the one seat that was separate from the others. People will be much more willing to trade aisle seats with you.

That’s what we did, and in the end, someone was willing to exchange with us, so we could sit near each other.

The lesson here is:

1) Go online early, to check your seats and pick better ones if they’re available.

2) Avoid the seats near the bathrooms.

3) If you want to trade seats with someone else on a plane, try to get a ticket with an aisle seat. You’ll have a better chance that the other person will be willing to change seats with you.

Most importantly: Bon voyage!

Mama Lisa