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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

It’s fascinating to learn about old superstitions.  Here are some that were practiced in England during the month of May… My favorite is bathing your face in the morning dew in the grass on May 1st to make you more beautiful.  The text is from a book called “The Illustrated London Magazine” from 1855… “The month...

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...

Ayako Egawa wrote from Japan about Kamaboko, a sort of gelled fish cake that’s eaten there.  The one pictured below was made for the New Year.  The character on these Kamaboko is called Kizuna (meaning bond) which is the symbol for 2011.  (A character is chosen annually in Japan that best symbolizes the year that...

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...

Yesterday, I helped at a Chinese New Year event at my daughter’s school.  Red is a lucky color in China. Nane, the mother who ran it, had all of the helping Mom’s wear red. The tables were all decorated with red tablecloths. Oranges were placed around the room for decorations – like centerpieces on the...

Bloody Mary is the legend of a girl or lady who died under mysterious circumstances. In some versions, she may have also been a murderer.   Tweens and teens play this "game" where they go into the bathroom at night and stand before the mirror.  Then they say "Bloody Mary" a specific number of times...

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...

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...