04/29/2008 04:28 PM

May Celebrations

Guest blogger Ed Gawlinski sent me this short post about celebrations in May… On May 5th a lot of people in the United States are going to have tacos or burritos for lunch to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. On May 5th of 1862 Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halted a French invasion of Mexico in [...]

04/26/2008 02:14 PM

Can Someone Help with a Norwegian Song about a Horse with the Line, “Stodola Pumpa”?

Jeanette wrote me… Good Evening; My husband’s Grandmother was from Norway and she used to sing a song to him as a little boy about a poor man’s horse, a rich man’s horse, a soldier’s horse etc. My children and Grandchildren only remember the chorus – and only phonetically as they remember my husband (who is [...]

12/29/2007 10:48 PM

Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years

In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Years Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings. These symbols seem to fall into several major categories. The first class symbolizes financial prosperity. This type of food is round like coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, [...]

12/04/2007 12:29 PM

A Santa Lucia Day Song and Saying, plus why it’s a Festival of Light

Several days ago I wrote a post about the Santa Lucia holiday in Sweden and Scandinavia. A popular saying associated with this holiday is: Lucy Light, The Shortest day & The Longest Night. This saying celebrates the association of St Lucia’s Day, December 13, with the Winter Solstice which, under the old Julian calendar, used to fall on that day. This [...]

12/02/2007 09:55 PM

St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden and Scandinavia

Santa Lucia’s Day is celebrated on December 13th in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. It commemorates the life of Santa Lucia, who is also known as Saint Lucy. St. Lucy was born in Syracuse, Sicily around 283 and died in 303 AD. The myth is that her parents wanted her to marry a man [...]

11/27/2007 12:19 PM

Can Anyone Help with the Lyrics to a Norwegian Christmas Song called Christmas Bells?

Ed wrote: Lisa, I sing in a choral club which is sponsored by Travelers Insurance, in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the oldest company sponsored choral club in the country. This Christmas we are doing a piece called Christmas Bells, which is a Norwegian Folk Carol. I am wondering if you posted the lyrics and [...]

08/09/2007 03:42 PM

Great Photo of the Beach in Norway

Monique, my colleague at Mama Lisa’s World en français, sent me this lovely photo of the beach in Norway, which she recently returned from visiting. It looked to me like such a perfect vacation photo, that I had to ask Monique if I could share it with all of you. So here it is. [...]

02/17/2007 09:34 PM

Do You Know the Lyrics to The Sandman’s Coming in his Train of Cars?

Lee Shipton wrote looking for the lyrics to a lullaby… I am trying to find the full set of lyrics to a children’s lullaby which my father used to sing. The words are something like this: The Sandman’s Coming in his Train of Cars The Sandman’s coming in his train of cars With moonbeam windows and with wheels of [...]

01/18/2007 12:09 PM

Can You Help with a Norwegian Song?

Clay wrote: Hi: My name is Clay and I live in Canada. My grandfather decended from Norway. He taught my mother a song when she was little and we are trying to find the lyrics to the whole song. All I know is jeg ere sa glad til yewl kevll. I don’t know how to [...]

01/17/2007 12:04 PM

St. Knut’s Day - Looting the Christmas Tree

Last year I wrote about St. Knut’s Day, a holiday celebrated on January 13th, in Sweden, Finland and Norway. St. Knut’s Day is all about getting rid of all the Christmas decorations and throwing out the tree, thus ending the Christmas season. When I wrote about it last year, I asked if anyone knew of [...]