Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
HomeMeet Delilah
BookshelfBlogExtrasEditorial ServicesContactDelilah's Collections

Blog



Gemma Juliana: All About St. Patrick’s Day
Sunday, March 9th, 2014

All About St. Patrick’s Day

It’s often said that on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone has green blood… now there’s an idea for a horror novel, or at least a paranormal thriller. Apart from knowing it’s an Irish holiday when people tend to drink too much, what else do you know about it?

Here are some myths and fun facts:

  • Wear something green so you don’t get pinched. If you do get pinched, it was probably a leprechaun that did it.
  • If you wear a “kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirt, be ready to be kissed.
  • The potato has always been a staple in the Irish kitchen. French fries are called chips, and potato chips are called crisps.
  • Irish craic (having a blast) has nothing to do with American crack. If an Irish person says let’s have a bit of craic they want to have fun, not do crack-cocaine.
  • The cow was an honored and respected creature in Ireland, and a main form of wealth in ancient Ireland.
  • The little people, fairies and leprechauns, do exist. Leprechauns are the Tuatha de Danann (tribe of the goddess Danu) who moved below ground into the Otherworld when Ireland was invaded. They still come and go, and can bless or curse you depending on whether you amuse or irritate them.
  • St. Patrick (whose name was Maewyn Succat) is the patron saint of Ireland and is said to have brought Christianity to Ireland. The ‘holiday’ has been celebrated for approximately 1,500 years as a religious holiday but only in the past few decades as a party event.
  • St. Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes from Ireland. Snakes stood for wisdom and transformation, and were often associated with the Druids and pre-Christian beliefs that included gods, goddesses and otherworldly beings from other dimensions such as fairies, leprechauns and banshees. Many believe the true meaning of the phrase is that he drove the wise old pagans from the land. Snakes have returned to Ireland, and the old ways are flourishing again.
  • The shamrock is said to have been one of his teaching tools. He demonstrated the three aspects of one God by way of the shamrock. It could have been used to teach of the ancient triple goddess of Ireland, too.
  • Churches were erected on as many ancient sacred sites as possible to lure the pagans to switch over to Christianity.
  • A fine traditional Irish meal is boiled ham and cabbage with mashed potatoes. You can wash it down with Irish beer or an Irish coffee.
  • Respect all trees if you don’t want trouble with an irate leprechaun.
  • If you actually travel to Ireland to celebrate the Green, White and Gold (flag), be careful where you walk! If you fall down a fairy hole it’ll lead you through a portal to The Otherworld and you may never make it back!

Perhaps March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, but being a rebel by nature, I tend to honor all things Irish, including the old ways, on that day. It’s more like “all things Irish” day.

If you’d enjoy a light and entertaining story to stoke your Irish spirit – a novella that will take you into the world I just described, I’ve got just the thing for you! To Kiss A Leprechaun is a grand and magical adventure, a sweet romance that can be enjoyed by all ages. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

To Kiss a Leprechaun(1)

 

Think “Beauty & The Beast meets Sleeping Beauty”…

Lorcan, Prince of the Leprechauns, has been cursed by an ugly spell for centuries. Every year around St. Patrick’s Day he chooses a village girl to kiss. It brings prosperity and wellbeing to the seaside village of Glen Kisswich. This year Aine Byrne is the lucky lady – not! She doesn’t want to kiss a guy who’s uglier than a toad, prince or not. Besides, she’s got a crush on another guy. What’s a girl to do?

Only the kiss of Lorcan’s soul mate can lift the curse. What are the chances he’ll find his true love with a bloodline that blends human, fairy and mermaid? To make matters worse, somebody is determined to stop The Kiss from happening.

You’ll find alpha heroes in the Sheikhs of the Golden Triangle series and modern heroes in To Kiss A Leprechaun and Autumn Masquerade. More stories coming soon!

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, brave teen son and a comical dog who is really a human in disguise. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity. She writes romance, mystery and suspense with a splash of the paranormal.

Buy Gemma’s books on Amazon. Most are also available on BN, Kobo and Apple.

Connect with Gemma
GemmaJuliana.com | Twitter | Facebook

11 comments to “Gemma Juliana: All About St. Patrick’s Day”

  1. ronnie c
    Comment
    1
    · March 9th, 2014 at 11:10 am · Link

    Thanks for the Irish lore…My Mum-Mum (grandmother) who was irish taught me much of it plus Irish tales of the Brownies, Leprechauns, and Fairies. I miss her every day. Some things I didn’t know. Anyway I’d love to read your book so I’m going to Amazon now!!! 😉



  2. Gemma Juliana
    Comment
    2
    · March 9th, 2014 at 12:24 pm · Link

    Hi Ronnie,

    You made my day~~thanks! I know how you feel about losing your Mum-Mum and her tales of Irish magic. I had two like that, and an old aunt, and nothing can replace them. I’m so thankful for the memories. I hope you enjoy To Kiss A Leprechaun!



  3. Melissa Keir
    Comment
    3
    · March 9th, 2014 at 4:39 pm · Link

    Loved the post! I’m Welsh not Irish but I love the history! I love the cover and idea for your book. Thanks for sharing!



  4. Gail Siuba
    Comment
    4
    · March 9th, 2014 at 5:37 pm · Link

    I really enjoyed your post on St. Patrick. I’m looking forward to reading your books. Thanks for sharing with us. 😀



  5. Gemma Juliana
    Comment
    5
    · March 9th, 2014 at 5:53 pm · Link

    Hi Melissa! Thanks for visiting. The Welsh have as many fantastic stories as the Irish, and many overlap. I love comparing the two.



  6. Gemma Juliana
    Comment
    6
    · March 9th, 2014 at 5:54 pm · Link

    Gail, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and I hope you find the book fun, too. Thanks so much for visiting today!



  7. Sandy Loyd
    Comment
    7
    · March 9th, 2014 at 7:07 pm · Link

    Loved the post, Gemma! It was fun to learn a little about such an interesting topic!! I’ll have to check out the book.
    😮



  8. Rose Anderson
    Comment
    8
    · March 9th, 2014 at 8:56 pm · Link

    Loved the post, Gemma. I have a new leprechaun book to read this week! You had me after the log line. “Beauty & The Beast meets Sleeping Beauty” Too tempting! Best luck.
    🙂
    Rose



  9. Rachelle Lerner
    Comment
    9
    · March 10th, 2014 at 6:58 pm · Link

    I have always heard that on St. Patrick’s Day that everyone is Irish. I was told we had at least one Irish relative.



  10. Michelle - Snarky Mom
    Comment
    10
    · March 11th, 2014 at 6:47 am · Link

    I have a copy of my great-grandparents naturalization papers so I always try to make sure my kids don’t get overwhelmed by their German heritage (The Man’s side) so I’m definitely printing this out for them 🙂 !



  11. Gemma Juliana
    Comment
    11
    · March 11th, 2014 at 1:15 pm · Link

    Hi Sandy, Thanks for visiting! Glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂

    Rose, Thank you! You made my day, and I hope you enjoy the story.

    Hi Rachelle, I think you’re right — the Irish have made it to every nook and cranny on the planet. It’s hard to find someone who isn’t Irish.

    Michelle, what a lovely historical addition for your family to have those naturalization papers. Yes, a bit of mischief will remind the kids of their Irish heritage! My older son is Irish and German – I have to remind him not to be too serious a lot of the time!

    Thank you all for stopping by!



Comments are closed.