12/20/2007 11:09 AM

The Muslim Festival Eid al-Adha - Festival of Sacrifice - is Celebrated Today

This year Eid al-Adha (a holiday that’s also known as Eid Kbir) is held on the 18th to the 20th around the Muslim world. It’s a festival celebrating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah. Everyone dresses up and goes to the mosque to perform the Eid prayer. Families that can afford it [...]

06/04/2007 01:45 PM

Baby Showers in Lebanon

Kristen wrote asking about holding a Baby Shower for a Lebanese woman: A friend of mine living in the United States who is Lebanese is due to have a baby very soon. Would it be appropriate to have a baby shower of some sort? I certainly wouldn’t want to offend her culturally, and am [...]

04/13/2007 07:44 PM

Arabic Children’s Songs with Recordings

This week we were fortunate enough to receive recordings of four Arabic songs from Lebanon. I’m posting one of the songs below for you to hear. Here’s Tic Tic Tic Sleiman’s Mother in Arabic, with an English translation and the transliteration, so you can listen along to hear how to pronounce it. If you’d like to [...]

01/09/2007 08:31 PM

Can You Help with a Lebanese Song about Petting a Cat?

Michele wrote me: Hello, My Mom’s side of the family is part Lebanese and I grew up hearing a song about petting a cat and then it tries to grab some meat and gets smacked. Something like “beese, beese, yup si na, kinthee lahama wisheena, ibbis”. Sound familiar? Thanks, Michele If anyone can help with this song, please comment below [...]

01/06/2007 08:35 PM

How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3’s on Mama Lisa’s World

In addition to this blog, I also host Mama Lisa’s World. Mama Lisa’s World is a large collection of children’s songs and rhymes from countries all around the globe. Matt, a music teacher from Rhode Island, wrote a question to me, the other day, about Mama Lisa’s World: Hey Mama, I love the concept of your site. [...]

05/06/2006 09:38 AM

Question about a Lebanese Nursery Rhyme

Curtis wrote me… Mama Lisa, I have a question that maybe you can help with… My wife is 2nd generation American Lebanese. We recently had twin girls and my wife’s aunt recites what I think is a nursery rhyme in Lebanese while drumming the baby’s hand on the table top. I think what she is [...]