Voices of Home

Voices of Home: The #WhatWouldOmaSay Project

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We’re on a mission to celebrate the wisdom, humor, and secret ingredients of our favorite voices. Whether you call them Nonna, Abuela, Dedushka, Babcia, or Opa, we’re building a library of stories to celebrate these beautiful traditions and languages.

Want to participate? We are looking for grandparents (and their families) to share their stories!

How it Works It’s simple! Grab a phone, find a cozy spot, and have a fun conversation. We’re looking for raw, authentic footage that we can turn into short videos to share with our community. Speak in your native tongue, English or a beautiful mix of both! We'll add the captions and edit your video to share and make sure you get a copy of the final product!

A few tips for filming: A natural setting facing a window is a great place to start! Find a quiet spot, turn off the TV and any loud fans. Film vertically on your smartphone.

A thank you gift: We'd love to show our gratitude by gifting you a song book of your choice!

Pick Your Prompts

Choose at least 3 questions from the categories below to answer in a 3-5 minute video. Feel free to go over!

Food & Kitchen Secrets

In your culture, what is the one thing a guest should never do when they come over for dinner? (e.g., coming empty-handed or leaving food on the plate).
How do you tell a cook that the food is amazing without using the word "good"? Is there a specific gesture or phrase you use?
What is your go-to snack that puts goldfish packets and cheese sticks to shame?
What is the one soup or drink that fixes everything from a broken heart to a broken leg?
What is the one ingredient that never belongs in your favorite traditional dish? Think of a traditional dish that is relevant for your culture (e.g., borscht, schnitzel, paella, any dish that is meaningful to you).
What would you never put into a potato salad? And what is the most important can’t miss ingredient?
What is the "secret ingredient" your family thinks is fancy but is actually quite simple?
Show us what a "pinch" or a "handful" looks like when cooking?
What would your kids be mad if you didn't make for them on a holiday?
Show us a recipe you wrote down 30 years ago. Tell us a bit about it.

Superstitions

Why aren't we allowed to whistle indoors or put a purse on the floor?
What is the "cure" for a cold that doesn't involve medicine?
Tell us about "The Draft" (La Corriente / Przeciąg). Why is a cracked window so dangerous?
If you spill salt, how do we stop the fight that’s coming?

Language & Heritage

What's a word in your language that just doesn't translate to English?
What was the first "bad word" you learned as a child?
Sing 5 seconds of a lullaby you sang to your babies.
What is one tradition you hope the grandkids keep alive?
Show us the oldest family photo you have. Who is in it?

Parenting Humor

What do parents today worry about that is actually totally silly?
What was your "go-to" punishment when your kids were being naughty?
Show us your "Grandparent Look"—the face you make when a child misbehaves.
What did you use to "entertain" kids when you were busy in the kitchen?

The Journey

If you immigrated to the US, what is the one thing you brought in your suitcase that you still have today?
What food were you afraid you wouldn't find here?
What was the very first thing you ate when you arrived in this country?

Support a Small Business

If you love our books, we'd love to hear about it!

Feel free to share something you enjoy about the books or finish one of these sentences.

“One thing I love about these books is…”
“My grandchild always asks for this book because…”
“I love sharing this book with my grandkids because…”
“This book helps us share our ___ culture or language by…”
“My favorite song in this book is… because…”
“What makes these books special is…”
“The moment I knew my grandchild loved this book was when…”
“These books remind me of my childhood because…”
“If I were recommending this book to another grandparent, I’d say…”
“The best part about reading or singing this book together is…”

Ready to Submit?

Name your file: FirstName_Heritage_WhatGrandkidsCallYou.mp4 (e.g., Nancy_German_Oma.mp4)
Upload your video: Send us your video by completing the following google form. https://forms.gle/a5ELbjQRs9qXW7xS8

Note: By submitting, you grant Lufi & Friends usage rights to share these beautiful moments across our social media and community channels.