Articles about 'Customs and Traditions'
March 21st, 2013
Debbie wrote asking fro help with a childhood song her Irish grandmother sang to her son. Here’s her email:
Hi,
My grandmother came here from Ireland at 14. She died in 1971 and was 85. She used to sing to my brother when he was a baby in the carriage and my son the same. It was...
March 12th, 2013
Here’s an Irish Blessing just in time for St. Patrick’s Day…
Irish Blessing
May your pockets be heavy
And your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you
Each morning and night.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
-Mama Lisa
February 20th, 2013
When my son was born, my husband’s grandmother asked if she could tie a red ribbon to the bottom of his crib. This was to ward off the "evil eye" and keep away bad luck.
Some people wear a red string or bracelet on their left hand to ward off the "evil eye" too. The red...
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January 11th, 2013
These Sugar Cookies are Gluten-free and made with icing that has no food dye in it!
When making gluten-free recipes, make sure beforehand that all your ingredients are gluten-free. Recipe for Gluten-free Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. White Rice Flour 1 1/2 c. Oatmeal Flour ...
December 27th, 2012
Every year, in December in Japan, a word is chosen that represents that year. There’s a Kanji Character that represents that word. Kanji are the characters used to represent the Japanese language. They originally come from China.
The kanji character of the year is unveiled for the 1st time at Kiyomizu Temple each year.
Ayako wrote...
December 24th, 2012
I asked people informally how they tip for services for the holidays at the end of the year. Answers varied. So don’t feel like you have to go by a chart! Part of the answer had to do with a person’s economic condition. So people receiving tips should keep this in mind! Some people will...
December 23rd, 2012
Linda Nataprawira wrote from Indonesia:
Mother’s day = "onde" day
December 22nd is Mother’s Day in Indonesia. In indo-chinese tradition, we always make "onde" on that day too. They’re made of glutinous flour and filled with peanuts & sugar inside. The taste is sweet.
Onde is also called onde-onde. Sometimes it’s served in...
December 23rd, 2012
I was sent this email about tipping for services in France at Christmastime…
Traditionally, we tip the mailman: he or she brings everyone a calendar which includes a lot of information about the post office, and also about all the towns in the "département" (i.e. county). There are 95 different types of material given since there...
December 22nd, 2012
Debbie was kind enough to share her experience of tipping and gift-giving in Japan…
There are two gift-giving seasons in Japan: summer and winter. Gifts are often seasonal agricultural produce, or commercial products that are useful in daily living, like boxes of soaps or tea or seaweed. But the gifts usually go to people like your...
December 22nd, 2012
It’s a tradition in the US and the UK to tip people at the end of the year who perform services. Some of the people who are tipped are: Mail Couriers, Sanitation Workers, Hairdressers, Milkmen, House Cleaners, Nanny’s, Music Instructors, Dog Groomers, Teachers, etc. Many people wonder if they’re tipping the right amount. This seems...
December 21st, 2012
Fatima wrote yesterday from Iran, "It’s Yalda night ceremony (the longest night of the year). Iranian people eat nuts, walnuts, pomegranate, and watermelon for Yalda."
Yaldā is an ancient Persian Winter Solstice celebration. People used to stay up for most of the night to ward off misfortune. Nowadays, families mainly gather together for a nice meal. ...
December 21st, 2012
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when tradesmen and servants were traditionally given tips or gifts for their service.
Here’s what Rebecca wrote about it from the UK…
The ‘Christmas box’ was traditionally for those who serviced your house; bin men, milkmen & coal men! Well, in the last century....
December 7th, 2012
It’s so nice to give homemade gifts! This year I decided to make homemade vanilla extract to give to my friends and family. It’s easy! Here’s the recipe…
Recipe for Homemade Vanilla
Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 Vanilla Beans (I used organic vanilla beans)
1/2 cup Vodka (or Brandy)
1. Slice the vanilla bean pods down the side leaving about...
October 5th, 2012
What is Success? is a poem written by Bessie A. Stanley. It’s a poem that explores what it means to live a full, fruitful, compassionate life. These are topics that are important to speak with children about. You can listen to the poem and read along below…
MP3 of What is Success?
What is Success?
He has achieved...
August 10th, 2012
Monique wrote to me about a funeral she recently went to in France and about French Funeral traditions in general. Here’s her letter:
It was awfully hot on the day of the funeral so it was decided that we would drive to the churchyard. If the burial had been in the morning or if the weather...
July 20th, 2012
Barmbrack is an Irish fruit bread that’s served for Halloween and for Samhain, a similar holiday celebrated on November 1st.
Barmbrack has traditionally been cooked with objects inside that are used for “fortune-telling”. Below are some objects used. Whoever receives the slice with that object is supposed to have the corresponding fortune in the upcoming...
June 16th, 2012
Recently, we talked about the French good luck charm dolls called Nénette and Rintintin that are made out of yarn. In a second post we explained how to make the yarn dolls. Here we present a 2nd way to make them.
This version of the Nénette and Rintintin dolls won’t have a tuft of hair at...
June 14th, 2012
Recently, we talked about the French good luck charm dolls called Nénette and Rintintin that are made out of yarn. Here you can learn how to make them.
Supplies Some Yarn (including a piece of red or pink yarn for the mouth) 5 inch...
June 11th, 2012
Nénette et Rintintin were originally toy dolls for children that were first produced in France in 1913. The boy doll is Nénette and the girl doll is Rintintin. In the tradition of romance in France, they’re seen as a couple!
When WWI came, people started making little Nénette et Rintintin dolls out of yarn. They were...
May 14th, 2012
I just read an interesting article on about Mother’s Day in Haiti on a site called Caribbean Living. Mother’s Day is celebrated in Haiti on the last Sunday of May.
Laurie Bean wrote in her article, “Haitians celebrate Mother’s Day with songs, tears and prayers in church…”
People dress up in their Sunday best. There’s...
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