Recipe for Egyptian Kahk Cookies

Kahk Cookies are eaten in Egypt for the end of Ramadan holiday called Eid'l Fitr.They're sometimes even called Kahk al-Eid, cookies of the feast. They're also eaten for Easterand Christmas in Egypt and are sometimes given to newlyweds the day after the wedding. InLebanon, Syria, Jordan, [...]

Middle Eastern Recipe for Baba Ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush (also spelled baba ghanouj) is an eggplant dip that's eaten in the Middle East. Variations can be found in Egypt, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Jordon, Lebanon, Turkey and Armenia. Baba Ghanoush is often served with other dips like hummus. Pita bread is usually sliced up and dipped [...]

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 [...]

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 not [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Mama Lisa's World News and Multimedia Features

A significant part of the Mama Lisa sites is a large collection of songs and nursery rhymes from around the world. We currently have about 750 songs from around 90 countries and cultures. When you consider how many languages there are in those cultures – that's a lot of information! In [...]

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 [...]

Can Anyone Help with a Cuban Rhyme/Finger Play that starts with “Chiquitica así”?

Jeannie Backer wrote to us for help with a Cuban Finger Play. Here's her note... My mother from Cuba used to sing a song/rhyme to usthat I only partially remember, maybe you have heard something similar. It's not a song as much as a cute thing that a child says to adult to ask for

The [...]