Hungary | Mama Lisa's World Blog

Archive for the 'Hungary' Category

Posts

Can Someone Help with a Hungarian Lullaby that Sounds Like, “Boulah boulah…”?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Nicole wrote:

I have been trying to find an old Hungarian lullaby that my grandmother sang to me and I sing to my kids. I do not know what it means and I do not know all the words. The verse is something like:

Boulah boulah, boulah, boulah boopin do ya.

I am sure I am misspelling everything.

Do you know it? Can you help me find the whole song and the meaning?

Thank you,

Nicole

If anyone can help Nicole with the original Hungarian words to this lullaby and/or an English translation, please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Hungarian, Hungarian Lullabies, Hungary, Languages, Questions, Readers Questions | No Comments »

Can Someone Help with Some Hungarian Children’s Songs?

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Gabrielle wrote to me:

Can someone please help me find some Hungarian children songs?

My grandmother was Hungarian, she use to sing me many children songs. I do not speak Hungarian so I will write it as it sounds to me.

1) Gimbelem mogulbulum momeliyam

2) -Sárga csikó, csengő rajta

3) meyogudus, meyogudus conisraro
Konisraro, konisraro fogisbayo
El le lila, mashinistac
Qui agudus qui agudus tszikotzista

Thank you so much

Gabrielle Atherton

If anyone can help Gabrielle, please comment below or email me at lisa@mamalisa.com -Thanks

Mama Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Hungarian, Hungary, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions | 1 Comment »

Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group

Sunday, 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 Music…

Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…

Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!

Mama Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Acadia, Amish, Andorra, Apache, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bali Tribes, Bangladesh, Basque, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brittany, Bulgaria, Burgundy, Cajun, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Catalan, Children's Songs, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Customs, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Eskimo, Finland, Flanders, France, French Polynesia, Friesland, Gabrielinos, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Hawaii, Hinduism, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Inuit, Iran, Ireland, Iroquois, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mama Lisa, Martinique, Mauritius, Maya, Mexico, Morocco, Muslim, N. Ireland, Native American Indian, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Occitan, Ojibway, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Picardy, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Questions, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sumer, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuareg, Tunisia, Turkey, USA, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Wallis and Futuna, West Indies, Zaire, Zimbabwe | 1 Comment »

Can Anyone Help with Some Hungarian Rhymes?

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

Christine Winegar wrote me…

I am not sure where to begin. I am not looking for songs exactly. I really don’t know what to call them. If you know what I am talking about, I would love the English and Hungarian translation like you have on your web site. Here it goes!

My mom has been gone for 13 years now and my youngest never knew her. (He just turned 11). He keeps asking me to teach him this little thing she used to do on my hand.

The first one is easy. You start by holding the thumb, and work your way through each individual finger until you get to the pinky. It is like “This Little Piggy” except it makes sense. I am sorry, I can’t write in Hungarian, but the English translation is something like this… I think:

This one went hunting;
This one killed it;
This one took it home;
This one cooked it;
This little bitty one ate it all.

I can’t remember all the Hungarian words.

The second one I am looking for is harder. Instead of fingers, my mom would “draw” circles on my palm. She ended up going up my arm
until she tickled my neck. The first words I think were nonsensical. At least I have not found them in online dictionaries, but like I said, I can’t write Hungarian.

The “story” is about a priest making dinner and his (or a cat) ate it. (And they caught the cat by my neck usually). I am going to further embarrass myself by trying to write our what I remember to see if you recognize it. Here it goes:

Beszere, Beszere;
Mit fuszte Kasara;
something about a pokotzskaja;
hova let a Pap tszitszia;
ara szalat, ara szalat;
It foktak a tszitsza, tszitsza.

As I have built up the nerve to write to you, I am remembering more bits of my childhood. Hinta, Palinta,… Something about 2 soldiers fighting, and jumping into the dunabe. And one more if you don’t mind,…. Volt edgszer edgy kemensze. Something dirty a little boy climbs into, and gets so dirty his mom doesn’t recognize him. She locks the thing up, and spanks him.

If it makes a difference, my mom was from Hatvan. She left Hungary to avoid Russian retaliation. Does any of this stuff sound familiar to you? I am afraid that over time I have lost the words and the meanings, and now my children are interested, and I am afraid I won’t be able to pass on my heritage to them.

Thank you for all you time and effort.
Christine, in California
p.s. I recognized some of your songs, like the Crow one. It was fun to see it, but again I had forgotten a lot of the words.

Thanks again.

Response from Mama Lisa:

Dear Christine,

The first rhyme you asked about that’s like “This Little Piggy” may be Ez elment vadászni – This One Has Gone Shooting. You can check the link and see of that’s the one you’re looking for – please let us know in the comments below if that’s it. We have the words to Hinta, palinta. Click the link and you’ll get to the lyrics, English translation, tune and score.

If anyone can help Christine with any of her other questions, please comment below or email me.

Thanks in advance!

Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Countries & Cultures, Finger Plays, Hungarian, Hungary, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions | 7 Comments »

Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years

Saturday, 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, that will expand when it cooks, symbolizing expanding fortunes. Another financial symbol is food with big green leaves, representing paper money. The green may also be for growth. Foods like this are cabbage, collard greens and kale. Golden colored foods are also good for financial rewards in the New Year.

The second type of New Years food symbol represents the hope of having food on the table throughout the year. Pork is one important symbol of eating well year round. It’s also a sign of prosperity. In the olden times, if your family had a pig, you were doing well!

In some countries, actually having food on your table and/or plates at the stroke of midnight is a sign that you’ll have food throughout the year.

A third symbol involves eating sweet food in order to have a sweet year. In some countries people bake a coin in a sweet cake and the person who gets the coin will have good luck throughout the year. In Spain, Portugal, and parts of South and Central America, 12 sweet grapes, one for each month of the year, are eaten at midnight. The hope is to eat 12 sweet grapes to have 12 sweet months!

Fish is thought to symbolize good luck in many countries.

Another symbol for good luck involves eating food in a ring shape – like doughnuts or ring shaped cakes. This represents coming full circle to successfully complete the year – that’s good luck.

In Japan, long Buckwheat Soba noodles symbolize long life. Just don’t break them while you’re eating them!

Here’s a list of some symbolic food types and the places where they’re eaten for the New Year. Feel free to let us know what’s eaten for New Years in your country, in the comments below.

Round Food (Like Coins for Monetary Luck)

Italy, Brazil & Germany (Lentils)
Germany (Pancakes)
Philippines (Round Fruit)
Southern US (Black-eyed Peas)

Green Leafy Vegetables (Like Paper Money for Monetary Luck)

Southern USA (Collard Greens & Turnips)
Denmark (Kale)
Germany (Sauerkraut)

Golden Food (Like Gold for Monetary Luck)

Southern USA (Corn Bread)

Pig (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)

Hungary (Roast suckling pig with a 4 leaf clover in its mouth)
Italy (Cotechino con lenticchie – pork sausage with lentils)
Germany (Kassler mit Sauerkraut – financial luck)
Pennsylvania Dutch (USA – Pork with Sauerkraut)
Austria
China

Food on the Table or Plate at Midnight (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)

Germany
Philippines

Sweets (Symbolic of a Sweet Year or Good Luck)

Hungary (Doughnuts)
Greece (Round cake called Vasilopita – made with a coin baked inside – whoever gets the coin is lucky throughout the year)
Israel (Jewish New Year – Apple dipped in honey & grapes)
India
Egypt (Candy for kids)
Korea (Sweet Fruits)
Norway (Rice Pudding with an almond inside – good luck to the one who gets the almond)

12 Grapes at Midnight (Symbolizing 12 Sweet Months)

Spain
Portugal
Mexico
Cuba
Ecuador
Peru

Ring Shaped Food (Good Luck)

Mexico (Rosca de Reyes – Luck)
Netherlands (Olie Bollen – Doughnut)

Fish (Symbol of Good Luck)

Germany (Herring & Carp)
Poland (Pickled Herring)
Denmark (Boiled Cod)
Italy (Dried Salted Cod)
Japan (Red Snapper – Pink is a lucky color)
Vietnam (Carp)
China
Sweden (Seafood Salad)

A Happy, Lucky and Prosperous New Year to All of You!

Mama Lisa

Many thanks to Ed Gawlinski for pointing out that they eat lentils in Italy for the New Year, which lead me on this long quest that resulted in this discussion!

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Amish, Armenia, Bermuda, China, Countries & Cultures, Cuba, Cuisine, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Holidays Around the World, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lesotho, Mexico, Netherlands, New Years, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Recipes of the World, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, USA, Vietnam | 7 Comments »

How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3’s on Mama Lisa’s World

Saturday, 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. It’s been exciting to watch it grow. My only frustration is not being able to find either written (preferably) or audio music to accompany the lyrics. How do I find the tunes for all these great lyrics?

Matt
Music Teacher, Rhode Island, USA

Here’s what I wrote back, I’m sharing it with you, in case it helps you too…

Hey Matt,

Thanks for writing!

We’ve just added basic sheet music to a lot of songs on the Germany, France, Hungary, Spain and Mexico pages – plus many others.

We’re now in the process of converting the whole site to a database. We’re halfway through. Hopefully by the summer we’ll have a feature that will let you do a search on songs that have sheet music, midis or mp3’s. Midis play the tune of a song. MP3’s are recordings – usually of someone singing the song.

But for now, the songs on the countries that are in the database are working on a simple system. On the country pages they have symbols next to the song if they have special features. Here’s the key…

KEY TO SYMBOLS
– this song has sheet music
Midi – this song has a Midi tune
MP3 – this song has an MP3 recording
– this song has a Video recording

If there’s anything in particular you’re looking for, you’re welcome to ask – in case I know if we have it or not – I may be able to guide you to the right place to find what you’re looking for.

And, of course, we’re always looking for more sheet music, midi’s and mp3’s, so if you’d like to contribute any from your culture, we’d be thrilled!

I hope this helps!

Mama Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Andorra, Apache, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Basque, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brittany, Bulgaria, Burgundy, Cameroon, Canada, Catalan, Children's Songs, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Croatia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Folk Songs, France, Gabrielinos, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Hawaii, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iroquois, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, MP3's, Malaysia, Malta, Mama Lisa, Martinique, Maya, Mexico, Midis, Music, N. Ireland, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Occitan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Picardy, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Recordings of Songs, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Seychelles, Sheet Music, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sumer, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, USA, Ukraine, Venezuela, Video, Vietnam, Wales, Wallis and Futuna, West Indies, Zimbabwe | 48 Comments »

Free Online Language Dictionaries

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

While I have this link at hand, I’d like to recommend www.freedict.com. It’s a site devoted to free online language dictionaries. You can translate between English and the following languages:

Afrikaans
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
French
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Latin
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swahili
Swedish

I find that it can usually succeed at translating the words I need.

Feel free to recommend other language dictionaries that you like in the comments below.

-Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Argentina, Australia, Bahasa Indonesia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Danish, Denmark, Dutch, English, Finland, Finnish, France, French, Great Britain, Holland, Hungarian, Hungary, Indonesia, Italian, Italy, Japan, Japanese, Kenya, Language Dictionaries, Languages, Languages, Latin, Learning, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Norwegian, Online Dictionaries, Portugal, Portuguese, Recommendations, Russia, Russian, Spain, Spanish, Swahili, Sweden, Swedish, USA | 1 Comment »

Mama Lisa’s World News and Multimedia Features

Thursday, 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 it easier to access all of the songs, we are in the process of converting the sites to a database. The database allow our visitors to search for songs on the site by language, by songs with sheet music, recordings, etc.

While we’re putting the songs into the database, we’re trying to obtain as much information as possible about each song. So if we can find the tune, we’ll include a midi tune and sheet music. If we find a recording of the song on the internet, we’ll provide a link to the recording. Sometimes we’ll make a recording ourselves. Anything we can do to help you know everything possible about that song.

If you happen to see any songs on the site that are missing a tune or recording and you know it, we’d be very pleased if you could help us get the tune. We’re able to make midis from sheet music, if that’s what you can send. We’re also happy to post recordings if you’d like to sing the song, play it on an instrument, or even hum it. Really, anything to help others get an idea how to sing or play the song.

Once the database is complete Mama Lisa’s World will have 98 countries and cultures and over 850 songs. How great is that!

-Lisa

UPDATE: The Database is now complete! We have 100 countries and cultures. We’re now working on a Spanish version of Mama Lisa’s World which will feature children’s songs, folks songs and nursery rhymes from around the world with Spanish translations.

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Basque, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Brittany, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Catalan, Children's Songs, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Countries & Cultures, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Folk Songs, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Hawaii, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iroquois, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, MP3's, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mama Lisa, Martinique, Maya, Mexico, Midis, Morocco, Music, N. Ireland, Native American Indian, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Nursery Rhymes, Occitan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Picardy, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Recordings of Songs, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sheet Music, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sumer, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, USA, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Wallis and Futuna, West Indies, Zimbabwe | No Comments »

Is Fathers Day Celebrated in Hungary?

Thursday, May 18th, 2006

I recently recieved this email…

Is Fathers Day celebrated in Hungary? If so, on what day?

Thank you for your help.

Tracy Bondi

So far I’ve checked some books and I haven’t been able to find any evidence that Father’s Day is celebrated in Hungary. If anyone can answer this question, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

P.S. I also welcome information about Fathers Day in other countries.

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Countries & Cultures, Fathers Day, Holidays Around the World, Hungary, Mama Lisa, Questions | 12 Comments »

National Day in Hungary called “NEMZETI UNNEP” (March 15th)

Friday, March 17th, 2006

Zsuzsa wrote me about an important holiday celebrating freedom, that takes place in Hungary on March 15th. It’s National Day and it’s called Nemzeti ünnep in Hungarian.

Here in Hungary we have a national holiday on the 15th of March. On the 15th of March in 1848 our revolution and war of independence began. At that time our nation was overtaken by Austria-Hungary. It meant that Hungarians were not allowed to speak their language and have their own government despite the name of the Empire…

We unfortunately lost our revolution and war for independence, but the love and wish for freedom remained in our hearts. Every year on this day, Hungarian fathers and mothers teach their little children about the importance of the freedom and independence for our country.

With love,
Zsuzsa (Hungary)

P.S. Here is a picture of the ribbon we wear on our coats over our heart on the 15th of March.

Hungarian Ribbon

(Nemzeti Ünnep literally means in English National Day, and we have more than one National Day. But we do not have any other short form for the name of this event :). We call it, az 1848-as forradalom és szabadságharc ünnepe, which can be translated as: The Day of the Revolution and War for Freedom in 1848 .)

Thanks Zsuzsa!

-Lisa

Note: You can find a Hungarian poem that’s popular on this day in the comments below. If anyone can provide an English translation, please add it to the comments. Thanks!

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Hungary Page for some Hungarian Children’s Songs!

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Countries & Cultures, Holidays Around the World, Hungarian, Hungary, Languages, Nemzeti ünnep - National Day in Hungary | 5 Comments »

Please Send An Endearing Term for Grandma and Grandpa in Your Language

Wednesday, 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 be a different word for the mother or the father’s side of the family. I have spent hours on Internet, through many websites as well as your website and links. I have thus found: Cajun, Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Italian, Scottish, Irish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Farsi. I am not clear about Russian or Greek since I am not completely sure of their letters. Now I am certainly not expecting you to do hours of research for my project. But I thought you might be familiar with an easier way for me to accomplish my task.

For example, I happened on a page called “I Love You” in Various Languages and found 18 pages for “I love you”. Wow! Anyway, whatever help you can give me would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Kathy

If anyone knows any endearing terms for “grandma” and “grandpa”, including any in those languages listed, please comment below.

Thanks!

Lisa

Share on Facebook and other services:

Posted in Cantonese, China, Countries & Cultures, France, French, German, Germany, Grandma, Grandpa, Greece, Greek, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Hong Kong, Hungarian, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Japanese, Languages, N. Ireland, Occitan, Occitan, Poland, Polish, Portugal, Portuguese, Questions, Scotland, Scottish, Spanish, Sweden, Swedish, Words & Phrases, Yiddish | 114 Comments »

Blog Home

This is the Hungary Archive Page

Categories

My Tweets

Archive for the 'Hungary' Category

Contents

Posts

Can Someone Help with a Hungarian Lullaby that Sounds Like, “Boulah boulah…”?

Can Someone Help with Some Hungarian Children’s Songs?

Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group

Can Anyone Help with Some Hungarian Rhymes?

Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years

How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3’s on Mama Lisa’s World

Free Online Language Dictionaries

Mama Lisa’s World News and Multimedia Features

Is Fathers Day Celebrated in Hungary?

National Day in Hungary called “NEMZETI UNNEP” (March 15th)

Please Send An Endearing Term for Grandma and Grandpa in Your Language