The significance of Groundhog Day is really that it marks the midpoint of winter. We’re halfway there folks! Here’s the famous saying that’s told on this day… MP3 Recording of Groundhog Saying If the groundhog sees his shadow We will have six more weeks of Winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, We will have an early Spring. The groundhog did...

On February 2nd, Candlemas is celebrated in France every year. It’s called the Fête de la Chandeleur or Feast of Candlemas. It’s the exact mid-point of Winter. Here’s a French proverb sent to me by Monique of the French Mama Lisa’s World. I tried to rhyme the translation for you below… Proverb: “Que la Chandeleur...

The proverb “Good fences make good neighbors” has been around for a couple of centuries in different forms. One place it can be found is in Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin. His version is: “Love your neighbor; yet don’t pull down your hedge.” It’s interesting that the specific wording of the proverb,...

Back in July I wrote a post about the proverb “Time and Tide Wait for No Man“. MC commented, “It has nothing to do with the sea, it’s ‘tide’ as in ‘noontide’.” Noontide means noon or midday. I still think it has to do with the tides. Answers.com agrees: “This proverbial...

Friendship is no plant of hasty growth, Though planted in esteem’s deep-fixed soil, The gradual culture of kind intercourse Must bring it to perfection. By Joanna Baillie

Paul Gogojuice asked the following question on the Mama Lisa’s World Facebook Group: Hi all. My grandmother is full Finnish and as a child she always had 2 different sayings that she’d say to us. I don’t know how to spell them or anything, but I’m going to do my best to explain them. The first one...

Kishan emailed me requesting a poem about cleanliness. Here are some rhymes and poems I found that are generally about cleanliness, keeping clean or washing up… First, here’s a traditional nursery rhyme that mentions having a clean face: The Clock There’s a neat little clock, In the schoolroom it stands, And it points to the time With its two little...

I love to hear the different ways people spoke in the past. It’s similar to how I enjoy hearing different languages. You can imagine life in another time or place. Quite a while back, Arlene Charest wrote me with some rhymes and sayings she remembered from growing up in the 1940’s....

As you may already know, a housewarming is a party for someone who has just moved into a new home. Last month I wrote a little about housewarming traditions. Since then, I’ve discovered that many people are interested in learning more about housewarming traditions, gifts, sayings and poems. I found some proverbs...

If the first of July, it be rainy weather, ‘Twill rain, more or less, for four weeks together. * Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers. * Those who in July are wed, Must labor for their daily bread. * Bow-wow dandy fly, Brew no beer in July. * Whatever July and August do not boil, September cannot fry.

Here are some English proverbs and nursery rhymes about June… June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children’s hands with posies. *** Marry when June roses grow, Over land and sea you’ll go. *** A good leak in June Sets all in tune. *** A dripping June Puts all things in tune. *** Calm weather in June Sets all in tune. *** Here are some French proverbs about June. They’re...

Today Devon over at Head, Shoulders, Knees and all that wrote a blog post about sneezing in Japan. He said in Japan they say hak-shun when they sneeze. In English we say a-choo. After Japanese people sneeze, no one says anything special. In English we say God bless you or Gesundheit....

I received this email today… Do you know the words to: First of May is Petticoat Day; Second of May is shoelace Day; What comes next? Thank You, Rose Ann If anyone knows the words to this saying, please comment below. Thanks! -Lisa

It’s interesting to compare proverbs from different countries. Here are some I found from around the world. If you know of any others, you’re welcome to add them in the comments below. English Proverbs about April -April showers bring May flowers. -Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers. -April comes in with his hack and his bill,...

March brings breezes loud and shrill, To stir the dancing daffodil. March comes in like a lion And goes out like a lamb. Sometimes it’s reversed… March comes in like a lamb And goes out like a lion. A March sun sticks Like a lock of wool. There’s an old belief that if March is dry and dusty, there will be a better crop… A...