About The Japanese Star Festival – Tanabata – with a Song and YouTube Video
Kids Songs Around the World with English Translations
or French Translations
or Spanish Translations
Mama Lisa's World Blog
English Nursery Rhymes
Mother Goose in French
Wizard of Oz Audiobook
Poetry for Kids
ML Reviews
Mama Lisa's Hub
This is the Customs Archive Page
- Baby Showers (1)
- Birth Customs (1)
- Domestic Life (3)
- Dreamcatchers (1)
- Gift Giving (7)
- Red Packet Money (2)
- Greeting Customs (1)
- Housewarming Traditions (2)
- Sneezing (2)
- Weddings (3)
Categories
- 1512 (1)
- Arts and Crafts (21)
- Books (56)
- Children's Songs (425)
- Countries & Cultures (902)
- Customs (42)
- Folk Lore (6)
- Folk Songs (74)
- Food & Nutrition (4)
- Games (40)
- Gardens (2)
- History of Nursery Rhymes (8)
- Holiday Calendar (1)
- Holiday Songs (154)
- Holidays Around the World (340)
- Languages (713)
- Learning (37)
- Lullabies (40)
- Mama Lisa (414)
- Movies & TV (23)
- Music (62)
- Nursery Rhymes (158)
- Parenting (72)
- People (18)
- Photos (26)
- Podcasts (29)
- Poetry (95)
- Proverbs (20)
- Questions (306)
- Quotes (7)
- Recipes of the World (74)
- Recommendations (62)
- Recordings of Nursery Rhymes (19)
- Recordings of Songs (100)
- Rhymes by Theme (41)
- Seasonal (28)
- Songs by Theme (69)
- Teaching (41)
- Traditional Songs (2)
- Traveling (35)
- Video (23)
- Words & Phrases (16)
- YouTube (68)
My Tweets
Archive for the 'Customs' Category
Contents
Posts
About The Japanese Star Festival – Tanabata – with a Song and YouTube Video
Thursday, July 30th, 2009One wonderful festival that takes place in Japan in July is the Star Festival, also known as Tanabata. Tanabata means “evening of the seventh”… the Star Festival takes place at night on July 7th every year. Tanabata is originally based on a Chinese legend.
Tanabata celebrates the meeting of a husband and wife. They are Orihime (the star Vega) and Hikoboshi (the star Altair)… to meet they must cross the river Amanogawa (the Milky Way). They can only meet once a year on this night… it’s the one time they can cross the river. The story is that a flock of magpies help Orihime cross the river on this day only. If it’s a cloudy night, that means the river was too high and Orihame and Hikoboshi couldn’t meet. So in Japan everyone wishes for a clear night full of stars on July 7th.
Ayako Egawa in Japan wrote to me about one fun tradition on this day: “Children write their wishes on strips of fancy paper and put them on displays made of the branches of bamboo trees.”
Ayako sent me this photo below with the note, “This is the decoration at Star festival (Tanabata) on July 7th.”
Here’s a traditional Tanabata Song that’s sung for the festival. First you’ll find a Japanese transliteration, then the Japanese text, an English translation by me, followed by a YouTube video of a little girl singing it…
Sasa no ha sara-sara
In Japanese Romaji:
Sasa no ha sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunagoIn Japanese Text:
笹の葉 さらさら
軒端にゆれる
お星様 キラキラ
金銀砂子English Translation:
Bamboo leaves are rustling, rustling,
Swaying close to the roof’s edge,
Oh, how the stars are twinkling, twinkling,
Gold and silver grains of sand.If you’d like to share any photos, songs or memories of this festival, feel free to in the comments below or email me at lisa@mamalisa.com .
Many thanks to Ayako Egawa for letting us know about this festival and for sharing the wonderful photo!
Mama Lisa
Scarecrows in Gambia, Africa
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009I blogged recently about how Del Dallimore has been collecting Gambian children’s songs on YouTube.
Del took these photos below of scarecrows in the rice fields of Brufut, Gambia. I thought it was interesting how they look different from those here in the US. The scarecrows in Gambia are made out of plastic bags.
Del said, "They look really realistic from a distance."
Del wrote, "They were arranged in a group of three – for some reason I assumed that the Gambians would not use scarecrows."
Many thanks to Del for sharing these photos with us! Be sure to visit Del’s YouTube Channel to watch her videos of Gambia featuring kids songs!
Mama Lisa
Miso Soup Traditions
Sunday, May 24th, 2009I recently posted a recipe for miso soup that Ayako Egawa from Japan helped me with. When she saw the photo of the bowls and spoons I used to serve it with, she made this comment: "It is interesting you use a spoon for Miso soup, because we use chopsticks for it. And we usually put it in a deep bowl. But of course it is all right! It looks yummy!"
Ayako said (regarding the photo above): "This is my Miso soup bowl. Most Miso soup bowls have beautiful pictures and they have covers."
I said to Ayako: "That’s interesting that you eat miso soup with chopsticks. Do you drink the broth at the end? Here, in restaurants, we use big, deep spoons to eat it."
Ayako replied: "We drink the broth at the end by putting our mouths on the bowl. In Japan, it’s not against good manners to do that, especially when eating Japanese food such as Miso soup, Udon or Soba. We drink western soup with spoons. In some restaurants, Miso soup may taste better than ours at home. But the important point is that each family has its own tastes. Generally people in northern areas prefer red miso and ones in western areas, especially Kyoto areas prefer white miso. But it depends on each family. It’s interesting"
Thanks for sharing that with us Ayako! Very interesting!
Mama Lisa
Hat tip: Thanks also to Linda Austin of Cherry Blossom Memories for sharing her Miso traditions too. Linda’s Mom is from Japan. She wrote, "My mom insists on using red miso, someday I’ll try white."
Lyrics to the Norwegian Birthday Song with an English Translation and YouTube Videos
Sunday, April 19th, 2009Here are lyrics to the Norwegian Birthday song “Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!” (Hurray for You for Celebrating Your Birthday). It’s a birthday song written by Margrethe Aabel Munthe (1860 – 1931):
Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!
(Norwegian)Hurra for deg som fyller ditt år!
Ja, deg vil vi gratulere!
Alle i ring omkring deg vi står,
og se, nå vil vi marsjere,
bukke, nikke, neie, snu oss omkring,
danse så for deg med hopp og sprett og spring,
ønske deg av hjertet alle gode ting
og si meg så, hva vil du mere? Gratulere!Høyt våre flagg vi svinger. Hurra!
Ja, nå vil vi riktig feste!
Dagen er din, og dagen er bra,
men du er den aller beste!
Se deg om i ringen hvem du vil ta!
Dans en liten dans med den du helst vil ha!
Vi vil alle sammen svinge oss så gla’
og en av oss skal bli den neste – til å feste!Here’s an English translation I came up with…
Hurray for You for Celebrating Your Birthday!
Hurray for you for celebrating your birthday!
Yes, we congratulate you!
We all stand around you in a ring,
And look, now we’ll march,
Bow, nod, curtsy, we turn around,
Dance for you and hop and skip and jump!
Wishing you from the heart all good things!
And tell me, what more could you want? Congratulations!We wave our flags up high! Hurray!
Yes now we’ll really celebrate!
The day is yours, the day is great,
But you’re the best!
Look in the ring who you want to choose!
Dance a little dance with who you want to!
We’ll all turn around together so joyfully,
And one of us shall be the next – to celebrate!Here you can hear the first verse (which is how it’s traditionally sung)…
Here’s a video with both verses mentioned above, plus extra verses after that, and it shows the actions you can do with the song.
If anyone could provide any info about the extra lyrics that would be great! But note that they don’t seem to be part of the original lyrics by Margrethe Aabel Munthe. Just the first two verses are. Most people know the first verse. Some know the two above. I don’t think many are familiar with more than that!
Happy Birthday Everyone!
Love, Mama Lisa
Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009We’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
Let Us Know about Gifts Given for Special Occasions in Your Culture!
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009I’ve been asked… “about gift customs around the world like the one of the temari balls in Japan. Which gifts do people around the world traditionally give for special events such as marriages, births, etc.?”
FYI Temari balls are fancy balls with colorful, intricate patterns on them. They originally come from China, but are also found in Japan. They were traditionally made out of silk, often from old kimonos. Now they’re made with embroidery covering the balls.
They’re thought to bring good luck to whoever owns them. They’re given for births, birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. They’re also given by parents to kids on New Years Day.
Mama Lisa
I asked Ayako in Japan about the Temari balls. Here’s what she wrote:
“Hi Lisa,
Temari balls are beautiful. Their embroidery is fancy. We don’t play with them now. We just enjoy looking at them.
By the way, one of the traditional gifts is “Otoshidama”. It is special money given to children from their parents or relatives on New Year. It may sound dry to give money, but it is traditional heart-warming gift.
On Valentine’s day, women give chocolates to the men whom they love in Japan. It is called “true heart chocolate”. Sometimes working women give chocolates to their male coworkers. It is called “obligation chocolate”. Recently, it’s also common to give chocolate to one’s friend. That’s called “friendly chocolate”.
Usually men give gifts to the women in return on the 14th of March.
Ayako
Please join the discussion and let us know about any special gifts given for special events in your culture by commenting below…
Torrin Soup for Newlyweds, From the Occitan Region of Southern France
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009Guest blogger, Monique Palomares works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. Monique grew up speaking the Occitan language in southern France. Occitan was the language spoken by the troubadours – largely in southern France – but also in parts of Spain and Italy.
Last week, Monique wrote about an Occitan Wedding Custom and Song from France. The custom revolves around a soup called Torrin, that’s given to the newlyweds. Here’s the recipe from Monique…
Recipe for Torrin Soup for Newlyweds
(Serves 4)Ingredients
A large spoonful of goose or duck fat (or oil)
5 or 6 garlic cloves
A spoonful of flour
2 eggs
Salt & Pepper
Vinegar
(I usually use wine or balsamic vinegar but it’s just a dash of it so I suppose you can use any.)1. Boil 4 to 6 cups of water in a pot.
2. Put the fat in a large frying pan and slowly fry the garlic, but don’t allow it to brown. Add the flour, stirring it quickly.
3. Pour in the boiling water. Add salt and pepper. Allow to boil for 15 min.
4. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the yolks with a dribble of vinegar.
5. After 15 minutes, pour the egg whites into the garlic/flour mixture and stir quickly. Lower the flame. Add the yolks, stir and DO NOT allow to boil (or the yolks will coagulate and you’ll have yellow threads instead of a beautiful yellow broth).
Torrin Soup can be served with croutons or thin slices of bread.
In some areas they cook it with equal amounts of onions and garlic, then they sprinkle grated Swiss cheese on top and broil it in the oven.
My mother used to cook it. She’d use oil, not goose fat. She used peanut or sunflower oil, but you can use olive oil or any frying oil. The “genuine” recipe is with goose or duck fat. My mother also added vermicelli in step three, after the water started to boil again. Then came the egg whites and the yolks. But we didn’t serve it with bread, the vermicelli would be enough carbohydrates! We called it “Soupe à l’œuf” – “Soup with egg”.
“Torrin” is a word from the South-West.
-Monique
Wedding Custom and Song in Occitan from France
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Guest blogger, Monique Palomares works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. Monique grew up speaking the Occitan language in southern France. Occitan was the language spoken by the troubadours – largely in southern France – but also in parts of Spain and Italy.
Recently, Peter emailed us asking about the lyrics of a Gascon Occitan song called “Lo torrin”. (Gascon is an Occitan Dialect.) Peter’s wife is learning how to play the “boha” (the Gascon bagpipe) and he wanted to sing along. He got the lyrics and forwarded them to us.
The song “Lo torrin” is a “wedding song” that the wedding party-goers would sing to the newlyweds. “Lo torrin” specifically refers to a garlic soup spiced with pepper. This soup was traditionally brought to newlyweds on the morning after their wedding night.
In this old tradition, the bride and the groom would ride around the village in a cart with their brand-new chamberpot, on their wedding day. It symbolized the start of their new life together and it also let people know about their wedding. Remember that at that time there were no bathrooms, only outhouses. Yet people wouldn’t go out at night to “go” in the outhouse (”la cabane au fond du jardin”*). During the evening meal and party the newlyweds would sneak out around midnight and they would go to sleep at some accomplice’s place (an aunt’s, a grandma’s…). Later in the night or early in the morning, the young people at the wedding (those in their late teens and their twenties) would search for them. When they found them, they’d get them out of bed so that they could eat the soup that had been cooked especially for them.
In some areas, they wouldn’t cook a soup, they would pour into a brand new chamberpot the leftovers of the drinks with chocolate and biscuits (nobody needs further description to guess what it was supposed to look like). This was supposed to help them recover from the wedding night.
When I was a child and in my neighborhood the bride and groom wouldn’t tour around the town with their brand-new chamberpot, but they’d still be gotten out of bed. Nowadays the tradition survives in some places. Since nobody now uses chamberpots, “pots de la mariée” (brides’ chamberpots) are still on sale for this event.
*”La cabane au fond du jardin” refers to the little wooden cabin used as toilets at the other end of the garden and it’s also the title of a spoof song imitating the style of the French singer Francis Cabrel.
Below, you can hear Jane Thomasson playing the “boha” and Peter Horton singing the first verse of the song. After that you’ll find the lyrics in Occitan, and then an English translation…
Click to Hear the first verse of Lo Torrin
Lo torrin
(Gascon Occitan)Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lonla (x2)Vos portèm lo torrin (x2)
E la sopa ben pebrada luron lon la (x2)Coma obrirei jo (x2)
Que soi dens mon lheit cochada luron lon la (x2)Au pròche de mon marit (x2)
Que me ten tota embraçada luron lon la (x2)Que me ten e me tendrà (x2)
Tota la nèit empenada luron lon la (x2)Se perdèvi mas amors (x2)
Ont las anguerei o quèrre luron lon la (x2)Seren per debat París (x2)
A dus cent cinquanta legas luron lon la (x2)Dabans la pòrta i a (x2)
Un grand pè de heuguèra luron lon la (x2)Dens ‘quera heuguèra (x2)
Un beròi nid de tortèla luron lon la (x2)La tortèla i a cohat (x2)
E apèi s’es envolada luron lon la (x2)En partint a feit rocó (x2)
E la bèra n’es plus bèra luron lon la (x2)Obritz la pòrta, obritz (x2)
La novèla maridada luron lon la (x2)Se no l’obrissètz pas (x2)
En ‘questa ora vos l’enfoncèm luron lon la (x2)The “Torrin”
(English Translation)Open the door, open it, (2 x’s)
You, bride (newlywed) luron lon la…We bring you the tourrin*
And the soup spiced with pepper.How would I open it
If I’m lying in my bed?Close to my husband,
Who holds me in his arms**.Who holds me and will hold me
Saddened, all night long.If I lost my love
Where would I go for him?He’d be, northwards, near Paris,
250 leagues from here.In front of the door is
A big fern.In this fern is
A pretty turtle dove nest.The turtle dove hatched there
Then she flew away.When she left, she went “coo”,
And the pretty one isn’t pretty any more.Open the door, open, (twice)
You, bride.If you don’t open it
Now we’ll break it open.Click here for the Lo torrin Song Page – where you can access the Sheet Music, midi tune and French and Spanish translations.
Note: There are some other songs about getting married in Occitan and French, most of which are addressed to girls. They’re along the lines of Joan Baez’s song The Wagoner’s Lad: “Oh hard is the fortune of all womankind, she’s always controlled, she’s always confined, controlled by her parents until she is wife, a slave to her husband the rest of her life!”
Many thanks to Peter Horton for contributing the lyrics to “Lo torrin”and the sheet music (which came from the “Bohaires de Gasconha”), and for singing the first verse for us, accompanied by Jane Thomasson playing the “boha” (local bagpipe).
-Monique Palomares
UPDATE: Here’s a Recipe for Lo Torrin Soup!
Italian New Year’s Eve Tradition of Wearing Red Underpants for Good Luck
Sunday, December 28th, 2008Eating lentils and sausages, and wearing red underwear are all good luck in Italy on New Year’s Eve.
I discovered the tradition of the lucky red underpants when Vita wrote to me. Here’s what she said:
…my grandmother in Naples, Italy used to tell us that wearing red underpants on New Years Eve brought good luck – I don’t know if she told us this because it was funny to little kids or because it is actually a custom.
I’ve been reading about it and have discovered that wearing red underwear for New Year’s Eve does indeed seem to be the tradition in Italy. It’s better if they’re given to you as a gift, and if they’re brand-new this year.
They also eat lentils in Italy for good monetary fortune in the upcoming year. Lentils with zampone o cotechino (sausages) is the most popular dish that’s served. Pork is an auspicious sign for the New Year and it’s part of the meal.
If you’re interested in learning about other New Year’s traditions, you can read about Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years. Feel free to share your traditions with us in the comments below.
Buon anno! Happy New Year!
Mama Lisa
Does anyone know if the words to “Bella che dormi” in Italian are correct?
Sunday, December 28th, 2008Vita wrote:
Hi, I remember a song sung to me by my mother and I just want to make sure I have the words correct and have all the verses. It’s a lullaby and she used to rock us while singing it:
Bella che dormi
sul letto di fiori
mentre dormendo
un bacio d’amor
un bacio in fretta
la povera bambina
o poverina
dove sei andata
dalla nonnina
e cosa ta datto
un bacio un bacio la povera bambina!Beautiful girl sleeping
on a bed of flowers
while sleeping
a loving kiss
a quick kiss
the beautiful girl
o little one (literally poor one)
where did you go?
to grandmother’s
and what did she give you?
a kiss, a kiss
the little one (literally poor one)!Does anyone know any “fingerplays” in Italian – songs with accompanying actions?
Also, my grandmother in Naples, Italy used to tell us that wearing red underpants on New Years Eve brought good luck – I don’t know if she told us this because it was funny to little kids or because it is actually a custom.
Thank you!
VitaIf anyone can help Vita with the song or if you know about the New Year’s custom of wearing red underwear on New Years Eve for good luck, please let us know about it in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Video Game Gift Ideas for Kids
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
I asked my children to tell me what they’d consider to be their favorite video games. In case there are people out there still looking for last minute gift ideas, below are some recommendations.
I recommend going to Game Stop to buy video games since they’re small stores that you can find anywhere. If you’re looking online, you can also try Amazon.
Here are my teenage son’s favorite games:
For the Wii:
For the DS:
For the PC (Computer):
Spore
World of Goo (It can also be downloaded onto the Wii*.)For the N64 (Some old N64 games can be downloaded onto the Wii* – that’s how my son played it):
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Here are my 7 year old daughter’s favorites:
Disney Princesses: Enchanted Journey – available for the PC, Wii and PS2
Littlest Pet Shop Video Game – available for the PC, Wii and DSBratz Baby Ponies – this is free online – all you need is a Flash player! You choose a pony and style its hair. Great for girls!
Frogger – another game that has a free version online – good for boys and girls (My daughter played it on the GameCube – which is an older system.)
For the DS:
For the PC:
World of Goo (It can also be downloaded onto the Wii*.)
Most kids seem to like games in the Mario Bros. franchise. You can see that Mario games are on both of my kids’ lists and I’ve bought them for many other children in our lives who have enjoyed playing them.
If you’re interested in stuffed animal and robotic animal gifts you can click the link to see an earlier post I wrote with recommendations.
Feel free to let us know about the games the kids you know like in the comments below…
Mama Lisa
*A Note About Downloading Games onto the Wii: There’s a Wii Shop Channel on the Wii Menu on the Wii. You can buy a Wii points card at a video game store or you could by points through the Wii Shop Channel. To use the card you just enter the code on the card into the Wii Shop Channel and search for a game. If it’s there it should come up. Most games cost $15 or less. 100 points costs $1. You can get old games on it and some games that are programmed specifically for it. The old games are from NES, SNES, N64 and some other systems.
Washing Laundry with Ashes and Climbing Cherry Trees in the Good Old Days …
Friday, December 12th, 2008Guest blogger Monique Palomares from France works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. Here’s what Monique wrote…
Your blog entry about life in the 17th century reminded me about something my mother would tell us long ago. They seldom used to wash bed sheets and linens in France in the cold weather. That’s why they needed plenty of sheets and towels and napkins, because they would change them regularly, but they wouldn’t wash them until the weather was fine enough to allow the laundry to dry outside.
They would keep the ashes from the fireplace then they would put the sheets in large wooden tubs and they would put finely sieved ashes on top then they would slowly pour hot water on it, over and over again, until the water going out from the bottom of the tub was hot. Then they would rinse the laundry in the nearest stream or river and hang it on strings or wires or spread it on hedges depending on the area.
I’m pretty sure my mother saw it done – maybe it was during WWII when soap wasn’t available. They couldn’t make soap with animal fat, because in the plains they only grew grapes in the vineyards and had a few fruit trees (just like today). So there wasn’t much to eat. They were very happy when they could catch a wild rabbit. At the end of the Spring, when wild edible herbs could be dug up and the fruit on the trees would ripen, my father’s mother would say about her children, “they’re saved for this year”.
People would grow some vegetables in their gardens, but they didn’t have enough land to grow them for large families. Though they wouldn’t go and steal vegetables from other people’s property. But children would go and eat cherries from other people’s cherry trees. My friends and I did it too, it was a “youth thing” then and people wouldn’t call the police. Some would even say, “You know where my cherry tree is, the cherries are ripe but be careful not to break the branches.” Children can climb higher in the trees than adults can even with a ladder, so it’s better that they eat them: because what can’t be picked is left for the birds – though birds must get a living as well! People would grow one or two cherry trees on the side of a vineyard, and those weren’t in a cherry tree orchard for the cherries to be picked and sold. What we wouldn’t do is go eat someone’s peaches, because not a lot of them grow on each tree.
About doing the laundry with ashes, I asked my mom today, and she explained that only “the whites” were washed this way. The way she saw it done was this: the laundry was first let to soak in hot water with soda crystals, then it was hand-washed with soap. Then they would take a large tub that they would line with an old bed sheet and they would pile up the white laundry in layers in the tub. Then they would cover it all with another old sheet and would fold over the corners and rims of the lining sheet on top of everything. They would spread ashes and pour hot water very slowly over it. The water getting out from the bottom of the tub was collected and reheated then poured on top of the laundry again and again, until it would come out hot from the bottom of the tub. Then they would open the whole bunch and would go to rinse it. Not everybody would do it but she said that when she got married (in 1950) some people would still do it.
About the cherry trees: I remember two old single brothers (what I considered “old” then was what is now around my current age…) who didn’t like our eating their cherries. Of course we would prefer to go and eat their cherries because it was more fun; they would yell, “I saw you!” from afar, and we’d have enough time to climb down the tree and run away through the vineyards.
Thanks Monique for sharing that with us! -Lisa
Domestic Life in the Colonies in the 17th Century
Thursday, December 11th, 2008I love reading about day-to-day life in the olden days! It’s fascinating how it was so different from the modern world.
Project Gutenberg just posted a book to read online or download called Domestic Life in Virginia in the 17th Century. Presumably, it would be similar throughout the North American colonies at that point in time.
Here’s a part I found to be interesting about how they cooked and washed clothes (they didn’t do laundry too often – so they wore a lot of perfume!)…
In the summer months, much of the cooking was done out-of-doors in huge pots slung from a tripod. The food for the servants went into a single pot, and their fare in “pap” was eaten in the open also, when the weather permitted. In the winter and during the cooler months, cooking was done on the hearth of an ample fireplace which customarily took up the greater part of the end of a room. If the family was of modest means, the kitchen area was the heart of the house. Here, in winter, was warmth, food and companionship. As the planter acquired numerous servants and preparation of food became an all-day matter, every day, the kitchen with its companion room, the buttery, was divorced from the house. Under this arrangement, the mistress of the household merely directed the preparation of food, the care of the dairy products, the salting of the meat, and the rendering of the lard.
Before the fire on the great hearth, meat on joints and fowl were trussed on spits, and to some small boy fell the task of keeping the spit turning. A drip-pan placed beneath caught the juices. Bakestones, griddles and clay ovens were at hand to stand on the hot embers, and later, ovens were built into the fireplaces. From cranes, simple at first and later with convenient arrangements for tipping, hung the pots for boiling. Bellows were at hand to enliven dying embers. On a rough table stood the brass mortar and iron pestle for mixing, the flesh-hook for handling meats, brass skimmer, rolling-pin, and other handy cooking utensils. Besides, in an adjoining space, there were pans, butter-pots, tubs and trays for the milk and milk products.
Water, which had to be drawn by hand from wells, except for an occasional windmill, was not a plentiful commodity. Therefore, the washing of clothes was not the semi-weekly operation carried on today with labor-saving devices. For the most part, it was carried on out-of-doors in clear weather, either at a nearby stream, or in the huge pots or tubs possessed by every family. Soap was brought into the Colony, and also was compounded from the animal fats available and the soap-ashes, which were plentiful. After soaking, the clothes were laid on boards and the grime driven out with “beetles” or paddles; then, the garments were hung up or laid out to dry or bleach in the sun. The few housewives, who owned napkin-presses, had the table-linen carefully folded, and placed, when damp, in the press in a pile. The board, screwed down firmly, eliminated the wrinkles, and the linen in some hours was smooth and ready for use. Also, various smoothing-irons and goffering (crimping)-irons, heated on the hearth were applied to garments. In all, however, laundering was a laborious process. Perfume, therefore, was a popular item in milady’s toilet.
Pictures Courtesy of the artist, Sydney R. Jones from Old English Household Life by Jekyll and Jones, published by B. T. Batsford, Ltd., London.
UPDATE: Come read more about Washing Laundry with Ashes and Climbing Cherry Trees in the Good Old Days!
Stuffed Animals and Robotic Animal Toys for Kids
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008Furreal Friends is the big thing this year. They’re robotic pets that act like real animals. They feel like stuffed animals – though sometimes, they’re hard underneath. There’s a horse that kids can “ride” on. Actually, it’s the head that moves – making real-looking movements – and you can “feed” it. There are cats, dogs, hamsters, and the list goes on. They range in price from about $19.99 (for the small animals) – $199.00 (for the horses). Preskool put out a Triceratops robotic toy that young kids can go on too. If you’re interested in buying a robotic stuffed animal, I’d recommend checking out the reviews of the different types of pets on Amazon and YouTube. Furreal Friends is the main brand – but some specific animals rate better than others.
Chantilly Lane Bears sing! Their mouths move while they belt out a song! These are really cute – though hearing the same song again and again can make a parent crazy! They’re less well-known than some other toys and I think there’s value in that! They come in other animals besides bears. They’re priced around $19.99.
A Webkinz is a little stuffed animal that comes with a special internet code that lets your child can interact with an online version of it. Webkinz have been around for a couple of years – but both boys and girls in elementary school still enjoy them. Their animals can get a “job” online and with the “money” they make they can improve their houses, and buy virtual food or clothes for their Webkinz. There are also games kids can play online in the Webkinz World. Webkinz normally cost between $8.00 – $15.00.
Girls aged 4-8 like Animals in My Pocket (like “Puppy in My Pocket“) and also Littlest Pet Shop animals. My daughter and her friend can’t get enough of them! There’s also “Safari in my Pocket” that boys might like.
These are some fun gift ideas if you have a school-aged child in your life who loves animals!
Mama Lisa
UPDATE: Check out my more recent post of recommended video games for kids!
How to Choose a Digital Photo Frame – A Great Gift Idea if You Can Afford It!
Saturday, November 29th, 2008I think a digital photo frame is a great gift idea that you could give to many different people – for many different holidays and celebrations.
However, I’ve been looking into the possibility of buying one, as a gift, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, if you’re the type of person who cares about image quality, the minimum you’re looking at paying is about $100.00 – here and now in December 2008.
Here are some considerations to keep in mind when buying:
According to PC Magazine, a digital photo frame should have a resolution of at least 640-by-480 pixels.
Also, consider who you’re buying for. If it’s someone who’s not tech-savvy, make sure they can easily access the photos. If I was going to give this as a gift to anyone over 60 or so, it would be for a family member and I’d load it up with photos in advance for them. This way they’d only have to figure out how to scroll through photos or set it to a slide show.
Make sure there’s enough memory built-in to the frame. It should have at least 128 MB or some easy storage for the photos. I would want the built-in memory.
Consumer Reports recommends buying a frame that’s at least 8″. They also recommend a matte frame.
The most standard and less expensive frame right now is 7″ – so if you’re going to go up to 8″ as recommended by Consumer Reports – it’ll cost more money.
I’ve only been able to find two digital frames that are close to $100 (on sale), that are 8″, with a resolution of at least 640-by-480 pixels, and with the buit-in memory of 128 MB. They are:
Smartparts SP800WS 8″ Digital Brown Wood Picture Frame
Kodak EASYSHARE M820 Digital Frame (Photo Above)I don’t have direct experience with these frames. You can check around the internet to see what other people say about them, if you’d like, and to hunt for bargains. These are the two I’d check out based on what’s out there for a reasonable price right now.
My hope is that next year there will be lower price/higher quality choices!
Halloween in Japan and Japanese Yokai Monsters
Friday, October 31st, 2008The Washington Post had an article today about monsters and Halloween in Japan.
Japanese people do dress up in costumes and celebrate the holiday with Halloween parties. Though they don’t go out trick-or-treating like the Americans do.
Japan’s scary monsters are called yōkai. Yōkai has come to mean demon, spirit, ghost or monster in Japanese. Yōkai are found in Japanese folklore.
The oni are one of the best known yōkai. Oni are demons which are often depicted as fighting the samurai heroes. (Interestingly, they’re also an important part of the Japanese holiday called Setsubun. It celebrates Springtime on February 3rd. The tradition is to chase out the demon oni from your house. People chase away men disguised in demon masks, by throwing roasted soybeans at them.)
Another popular yōkai is the kappa. The kappa resembles a turtle and likes to challenge humans to sumo fights! But if you’re smart, you can outwit him, and get out of the dual.
Check out The Obakemono Project online to learn more about the different yōkai monsters.
Happy Halloween!
Mama Lisa
*****
Image info:1st image – Ōkubi by Toriyama Sekein c. 1779 (Ōkubi are Giant Heads of Men or Women that appear in the sky when a disaster is about to happen)
2nd image – Oni from the Cleveland Museum of Art
3rd image – Kappa by Toriyama Sekein in the 18th century (with a bit of editing by Mama Lisa).
Halloween Rhymes for Divination (or How to Predict Your Future Love!)
Friday, October 24th, 2008I recently read “Games for Hallow-e’en” by Mary F. Blain (1912). In her book, Blain tells how to throw a Halloween Party. Though you must keep in mind that it’s from the perspective of almost a century ago. I like her description of Halloween:
Hallow-e’en or Hallow-Even is the last night of October, being the eve or vigil of All-Hallow’s or All Saint’s Day, and no holiday in all the year is so informal or so marked by fun both for grown-ups as well as children as this one. On this night there should be nothing but laughter, fun and mystery. It is the night when Fairies dance, Ghosts, Witches, Devils and mischief-making Elves wander around. It is the night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into the future by all young folks and sometimes by folks who are not young.
At the end of Blaine’s description, she mentioned “the night when all sorts of charms and spells are invoked for prying into the future”. She was talking about how people felt that Halloween was an especially good time for divination – predicting the future. Kids especially played games where they could predict their future spouses’ names or occupations. This seems like a fun idea for kids, so I pulled out of Blaine’s book the games that specifically relate to predicting future loves and/or those that have rhymes or chants involved. Here they are, quoted directly from the book:
LOVER’S TEST
A maid and youth each places a chestnut to roast on fire, side by
side. If one hisses and steams, it indicates a fretful temper in owner
of chestnut; if both chestnuts equally misbehave it augurs strife. If
one or both pop away, it means separation; but if both burn to ashes
tranquilly side by side, a long life of undisturbed happiness will be
lot of owners.These portentous omens are fitly defined in the following lines:
“These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life we view;
The ill-matched couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves consume;
Or from each other wildly start,
And with a noise forever part.
But see the happy, happy pair,
Of genuine love and truth sincere;
With mutual fondness while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn;
And as the vital sparks decay,
Together gently sink away;
Till life’s fierce trials being past,
Their mingled ashes rest at last.”PERPLEXING HUNT
In this game the seeker for a prize is guided from place to place by
doggerels (verses) as the following, and is started on his hunt with this rhyme:“Perhaps you’ll find it in the air;
If not, look underneath your chair.”Beneath his chair he finds the following:
“No, you will not find it here;
Search the clock and have no fear.”Under the clock he finds:
“You will have to try once more;
Look behind the parlor door.”Tied to the door-knob he discovers:
“If it’s not out in the stable
Seek beneath the kitchen table.”Under the kitchen table he finds another
note, which reads:“If your quest remains uncertain,
You will find it ‘neath a curtain.”And here his quest is rewarded by finding the prize.
APPLE SEEDS
Apple seeds act as charms on Hallowe’en. Stick one on each eyelid and
name one “Home” and the other “Travel.” If seed named travel stays on
longer, you will go on a journey before year expires. If “Home” clings
better, you will remain home. Again, take all the apple seeds, place
them on back of outspread left hand and with loosely clenched right
hand strike palm of left. This will cause some, if not all, of seeds
to fall. Those left on hand show number of letters you will receive
the coming fortnight. Should all seeds drop, you must wait patiently
for your mail.Put twelve apple seeds carefully one side while you cut twelve slips
of blank paper exactly alike, and on one side of each write name of
friend. Turn them all over with blanks uppermost and mix them so that
you will not know which is which; then, holding seeds in your left
hand; repeat:“One I love,
Two I love,
Three I love I say;
Four I love with all my heart
Five I cast away.
Six he loves,
Seven she loves,
Eight they both love;
Nine he comes,
Ten he tarries,
Eleven he courts and
Twelve he marries.”Stop at each line to place a seed on a paper, and turn slip over to
discover name of one you love or cast away. Continue matching apple
seeds with papers as you count, until all twelve seeds and twelve
papers are used.KISMET
Take half as many apples as guests, tie two long strings, one red and
one yellow, to each apple.Place them in one large or several small baskets or receptacles on a
table. The girls choose the red and the boys the yellow strings and at
a signal they carefully pull the strings and follow them up until each
finds his or her mate holding the string of the opposite color,
attached to the same apple. The apples are then to be divided between
each couple and the seeds in each half, counted as follows:One–I love thee.
Two–he (she) loves me.
Three–Wedded we will be.
Four–he (she) loves me dearly.
Five–he (she) loves me nearly.
Six–a friend forever.
Seven–we must sever.
Eight–we met too late.
Nine–why hesitate.
Ten–he (she) is my chosen mate.AROUND THE WALNUT TREE
Of all Hallow-e’en spells and charms associated with nuts, the
following is one of the oldest: If a young man or woman goes at
midnight on Hallow-e’en to a walnut tree and walks around three times,
crying out each time, “Let him (her) that is to be my true love bring
me some walnuts,” future wife or husband will be seen in tree
gathering nuts.GAME OF FATE
Guests take part, seated in a circle. Three Fates are chosen, one of
whom whispers to each person in turn name of his (her) future
sweetheart. Second Fate follows, whispering to each where he (she)
will next meet his (her) sweetheart; as, “You will meet on a load of
hay,” or, “at a picnic,” or, “at church,” or, “on the river,” etc. The
third Fate reveals the future; as, “You will marry him (her) next
Christmas,” or, “You will be separated many years by a quarrel, but
will finally marry,” or, “Neither of you will ever marry,” etc. Each
guest must remember what is said by the Fates; then each in turn
repeats aloud what has been told him (her). For example, “My future
sweetheart’s name is Obednego; I shall meet him next Wednesday on the
Moonlight Excursion, and we shall be married in a week.”WHERE DWELLS MY LOVER?
Steal out unobserved at midnight; plucking a small lock of hair from
your head, cast it to breeze. Whatever direction it is blown is
believed to be location of future matrimonial partner.“I pluck this lock of hair off my head
To tell whence comes the one I shall wed.
Fly, silken hair, fly all the world around
Until you reach the spot where my true love is found.”ROSE TEST
Take two roses with long stems. Name one for yourself and one for your
lover. Go to your room without speaking to any one; kneel beside bed;
twine stems of roses together, and repeat following lines, gazing
intently on lover’s rose:“Twine, twine, and intertwine,
Let my love be wholly thine.
If his heart be kind and true,
Deeper grow his rose’s hue.”If your swain is faithful, color of rose will grow darker.
THE MIRROR
Walk backward several feet out of doors in moonlight with mirror in
your hand, or within doors with candle in one hand and mirror in
the other, repeating following rhyme, and face of your future
companion will appear in glass:“Round and round, O stars so fair!
Ye travel and search out everywhere;
I pray you, sweet stars, now show to me
This night who my future husband (wife) shall be.”NOTE FROM MAMA LISA – I’M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT CHILDREN PLAY THIS NEXT GAME! IT’S JUST INTERESTING TO READ ABOUT FROM AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE…
JUMPING LIGHTED CANDLE
Place a lighted candle in middle of floor, not too securely placed;
each one jumps over it. Whoever succeeds in clearing candle is
guaranteed a happy year, free of trouble or anxiety. He who knocks
candle over will have a twelve-month of woe.[Another Note from Mama Lisa: This sounds like what's being described in the rhyme Jack Be Nimble.]
APPLE-SEED TEST
Cut an apple open and pick out seeds from core. If only two seeds are
found, they portend early marriage; three, legacy; four, great wealth;
five, a sea voyage; six, great fame as orator or singer; seven,
possession of any gift most desired.If you’re interested, you can read the whole book that these rhymes are from. It’s online at: Games for Hallow-e’en.
Enjoy predicting your future on Halloween! It’s all in good fun!
Mama Lisa
Do Italians from Italy Cook Onions and Garlic Together in the Same Pot?
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008I was just watching a cooking video of Mark Bittman from the New York Times. He mentioned how he was cooking once with an Italian who told him that they don’t cook garlic and onions together in the same pan in Italy. This surprised him. This surprised me!
I grew up cooking garlic and onions together as the first step in my Italian tomato sauce. This was how my Italian grandmother taught it to my mother. It’s how my mother taught it to me. I assume it’s how my grandmother’s mother from Italy taught her to make it. Any Italians from Italy like to let us know if they cook onions and garlic together in the same pot? Feel free to comment below.
Btw Bittman seemed reluctant to believe it and so am I!
-Mama Lisa
Easter Customs in Germany
Thursday, March 13th, 2008Christine von Kannen-Balgar sent me this fascinating letter, answering some questions I had about Easter customs in Germany:
Dear Lisa,
To answer to your e-mail:
1) I’ve never heard of a German custom of eating green eggs on Maundy (Green Thursday) [scroll down to the discussion of Green Dyes to see what Christine is referring to - Lisa].
2) In Germany the Catholics used to eat green vegetables on Green Thursday (and maybe also the Lutherans/Protestants).
Well, nowadays almost everything has changed! I shall try to explain to you about Maundy, Lent and Easter (and the Easter Bunny) in Germany.
What you are talking of was a matter of religion. In North Rhine Westphalia, where I come from, and in most parts of south Germany most people were Catholics, so is/was my family. When I was a child or young girl (and I am 63 now) we used to “lent”, which means that the children did not eat sweets. We collected all sweets we got in a big glass, and on Easter Sunday, when Lent was over, we put it into our “Easter baskets” with the other sweets and EGGS. The “Easter Bunny” brings little children eggs and all Easter sweets! I think nobody really knows where this custom came from. Though it is known that the Easter Bunny first became popular in Germany in the 16th century.
People in Germany also make Easter trees. They hollow out eggs, dye them and hang them on shrubs or trees.
Lent started on Ash Wednesday, the day after Carnival and ended on Easter Sunday (do you know that in Germany we have an “Easter Monday”, which is a holiday – no work?!).
On Green Thursday we used to eat spinach or green cabbage (it is a green kind/sort of cabbage) or brussels sprouts. Or any other green vegetable you can think of (winter vegetables – as you’ve written in your e-mail). But not eggs!
I don’t know what had been the custom in the 18th or 19th century, but since the beginning of the 20th century (my grandparents were born between 1874 – 1887) we have known this custom of green vegetables on Maundy. I never heart about eating green eggs on Maundy.
We eat eggs on Easter.
On Good Friday or Good Saturday we boil the eggs (they must be hard boiled, so that you can keep them for a few days). Then we colour them red, blue, yellow, green etc. or speckled with special “Easter Eggs Colouring”.
On Good Friday we used to eat fish or anything else, but never meat – a “law” of the Catholic Church.
So the Catholics were not allowed at all to eat meat on Fridays (according to Church Law, which is not a law given by Jesus but by the Institution of the Catholic Church!). But you might know that. As I said, custom and things change. Nowadays, almost nobody cares for that. We all eat meat on a Friday, and maybe this Church Law was given up!? I don’t know. But we still eat coloured eggs on Easter and give eggs, together with sweets, in a little basket, to children, sometimes also to adults.
Best wishes from Old Germany
ChristineThanks for sharing information about your customs in Germany with us Christine! Many of our customs in the US are the same. I believe a lot of them came here through the Pennsylvania Dutch (German immigrants to America).
Recently, I’ve even started to see Easter trees here too. I believe that’s a new custom.
If anyone knows more about the custom of eating green Easter eggs in Germany on Green Thursday, or if you’d like to share your customs with us, feel free to comment below or email me.
Happy Easter!
Mama Lisa
The Symbolism of the Egg
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008As 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 of fertility, rebirth and the cycle of life. These latter symbols are so close to what Springtime is all about that it’s no wonder it’s been an important part of Spring celebrations since pre-Christian times.
As Europe became Christian, eggs became a symbol of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, Christians gave up eggs for Lent (the 40 days before Easter when it’s customary to give up different types of food). But even though people didn’t eat them, the hens kept laying them! So people would hard boil and decorate them. This would help preserve them longer and serve as part of the holiday festivities.
The egg is also part of the Jewish Passover holiday that takes place in the Spring. The egg is placed on the Seder plate and is a symbol of sacrifice and loss. Yet to some it also symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore hope and rebirth. (The egg is a more recent addition to the Seder plate compared to the other symbolic items that are found there and its symbolic meaning seems to be more open to interpretation.)
In China, red eggs are given out at the one month birthday of a new baby. It’s customary to hold a Red Egg and Ginger Party at this time. Once again, the source seems to be the egg’s role as a symbol of fertility and the beginning of life.
So here we come full circle (or oval) with the egg as a wonderful symbol of birth, renewal and rebirth. This is something wonderful to consider as Springtime approaches in the northern hemisphere, where the Earth will soon come back to life!
Feel free to let us know about any special symbolism of the egg in your culture in the comments below.
________
Copyright ©2009 by Lisa Yannucci. All rights reserved.
Help Support
Mama Lisa's World!
$5, $10, $25
or any amount welcome!
Advertisements
