Articles about 'Greece'
December 22nd, 2011
Kourabiedes are Greek shortbread cookies that are eaten for Christmas, Easter and Christenings. Sometimes at Christmastime, they’re made with a clove in the middle to represent the spices the three magi brought to Jesus as a gift.
There are many variations of these cookies – so feel free to tinker with the recipe. Here’s how...
December 16th, 2011
Daria (a children’s performer) wrote to me about her husband’s experience as a child in Greece at Christmas time. Here’s what she wrote:
"My husband grew up in Greece and loves to remember caroling with a triangle during the Christmas season. He and his brothers and sisters would go door to door and even on the...
November 28th, 2011
We’ve been emailed some questions about Greek songs and rhymes. Here are the emails:
1. O pateras olon…
Hello Mama Lisa,
I’ve stumbled upon your site and very happy to do so. My husband and I are becoming grandparents for the first time and while we await the arrival of our grandbaby, I want to brush up on...
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November 13th, 2011
Katina wrote asking for help with two Greek songs that she’d like to sing to her great-granddaughter. Here’s what she wrote:
Hi Mama Lisa,
I have two songs that were sung to me by my father and mother, and that I sang to my children and grandchildren. I want to sing them to my great-granddaughter, but I...
November 8th, 2011
Kitte asked me an interesting question about a Greek rhyme she heard at the Acropolis that helped to end a fight between two men. Here’s what she wrote about it…
Hi Lisa,
I have a question that is about something I experienced in Athens in the mid 90’s and have wondered about ever since. I was a...
April 25th, 2011
Here’s how you play the Greek Easter Egg Game…
1. Hard boil eggs and dye them red. In Greece, it’s traditional to dye eggs red for Easter.
2. Two players pick an egg. Player one clacks (taps) her egg on the top of player two’s egg.
3. Both players turn over their eggs.
4. Player 2 clacks...
August 18th, 2010
Last month a ship from the 1700’s was found in the Ground Zero construction site in New York. The ship was probably sunk at the site in an effort to extend the land in Manhattan in the early 19th century. It’s called The Mystery Ship and it’s now being studied at a lab...
March 16th, 2010
Nicky wrote:
I am trying to find the Greek lyrics to a childhood song my Greek mother used to sing to me. From what I remember the words went something like this…
Sandalia exi i Anna mas kanis kai paithela nahoun apo piso kai tou ta ftera. Nai thoxa tis horas palatia kalives kai opou kai...
December 2nd, 2009
Caroling is part of the Greek Christmas tradition. A carol is called Kalanta or Kalanda in Greek.
Kids go out caroling on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany Eve (January 5th). They go door to door singing carols, often bring along triangles to play while singing. The playing is different than...
October 24th, 2009
We received a Greek kids clapping song called Palamakia that we could use a little help with. Below is the Greek text, a transliteration and a rough translation. We’d like to know if the English translation is okay or if it needs to be changed at all…
Greek Text
Παλαμάκια
Παλαμάκια παίξετε
κι...
May 10th, 2009
Chenodia, The Classic Mother Goose (1871) by John Bigelow was just released online. It appears to be the traditional English nursery rhymes translated into Latin and Ancient Greek.
If anyone knows anything else about this text, please let us know in the comments below.
Mama Lisa
April 22nd, 2009
Here are some proverbs for Earth Day…
Old Proverbs:
-The Earth produces all things and receives all again.
-Earth is the Best Shelter
-What the heaven showers down, the Earth drinks up. (Greek Proverb)
This one is not about the Earth, but it involves the Earth.
-Six feet of earth make all men of one size. (Italian – Sei pie di...
March 18th, 2009
Mary wrote:
I am of Greek decent but I have forgotten most of my Greek. I do remember vaguely a song my yia yia used to sing. I was wondering if you could help me with it.
I found this on the internet, but the song I remember is much shorter and ends with “ya ma ta...
February 22nd, 2009
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...
February 23rd, 2008
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...
December 29th, 2007
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,...
December 19th, 2007
Frances wrote:
I think it was some kind of political song the 2nd graders sang. It is from many years ago and the song went something like this (very loosely phonetic)…
Eme na zakou tharo zoe ros po i
Pia no ti zulia proi ollo proko pi
My Greek is pretty horrible, and I remember even then as...
January 6th, 2007
In addition to this blog, I also host Mama Lisa’s World. Mama Lisa’s World is a large collection of children’s songs and rhymes from countries all around the globe.
Matt, a music teacher from Rhode Island, wrote a question to me, the other day, about Mama Lisa’s World:
Hey Mama,
I love the concept of your site....
November 30th, 2006
A significant part of the Mama Lisa sites is a large collection of songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. We currently have about 750 songs from around 90 countries and cultures.
When you consider how many languages there are in those cultures – that’s a lot of information! In order to make...
March 15th, 2006
Kathy wrote me…
Dear Mamalisa,
I was delighted to find your website and will be using it in the future. I am researching translations for the word “grandma” in various languages. I am most interested in the familiar, sweet terms children might call this individual. I am aware that in some cultures this would...
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