I found this article about wedding superstitions in a very unlikely place:  an American journal from 1906 called, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.  It was written by Memphis Scimiter… Wedding Superstitions The old rhyme that had to do with the days of the week still holds considerable power in the choice of the wedding day in some...

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...

There are traditional Filipino Catholic wedding customs that involve candles, coins, a veil and cord.  Here’s what each means… The Candles – The lighting of the candles usually takes place at the beginning of the ceremony.  One person from each side of the family lights a candle symbolizing God’s presence at the union.  Sometimes the couple...

Let happiness the guarded treasure be of the mind’s padlock, and true love be key. -from The Padlock (circa 1788) Love Padlocks can bee seen throughout much of Europe and other places around the world like Taiwan.  Peter wrote, "Couples put their names on a lock and then lock them onto some...

Monique, who’s from France, went to a wedding party in China when she visited friends there last year.  Here’s what she wrote about the party and about weddings in China in general… Marriage formalities consist of filling out some forms and bringing them to some office, then you go back to get them back some days...

In Japan, people traditionally make displays in their houses for special holidays.  The displays often include flowers, branches of trees and symbolic food. My friend Ayako Egawa in Japan sent the photo below of a floral arrangement she made for the New Year.  She wrote, "The berries are ’senryo’, lucky plants for the New Year in...

We have some traditions that many brides follow here in the US. The most popular saying is… Something old, something new, Something borrowed, something blue. Meaning that at the wedding the bride should be wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue for good luck in her marriage....

The photo below shows a traditional Japanese kimono that a groom and a bride wear in a Japanese style wedding. Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan: We have two types of weddings, Japanese style and western style.  Brides in Japanese style wear a special white traditional kimono and brides in western style wear a wedding dress.  Both are...

Recently, Ayako Egawa wrote to me from Japan about how Japanese people give money as gifts for special occasions. Gift money is put in a fancy envelope. A colorful cord is tied around it and finished off with a special knot (much like bows and ribbons put on gifts in the US). ...

Dedy Dowo sent me this photo of young Indonesians dressed for a traditional dance. Dedy said: "They do a dance of traditional java that’s called Jaranan or Jatilan (Horse dance)." I asked if it was performed for any specific event and Dedy wrote: "Yes it is, usually in a traditional ceremony or to celebrate a birthday...

A while ago, we asked about gift giving traditions around the world. Nicola Holdsworth wrote to us from the UK telling us about British holiday and gift-giving traditions. Here’s what she wrote… We give horseshoes for marriage, oranges form part of the Christingle celebration, usually with candles and ribbon. 21st birthdays are sometimes...

My daughter’s class had a multicultural festival today.  All the kids brought in food from their culture… There were samosas from India… Pierogies from Russia… Jumu "Haitian" Soup…   That’s only naming a few of the delicious dishes!  Some kids brought in crafts and activities from their culture… Swedish Paper Heart Ornaments are made in Sweden (and Denmark). ...

Guest 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...

Guest 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...