Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
Regular readers know that I am not only a logophile but also something of a fact junkie. My wife has another name for me but I won’t get into that now. In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day and Mrs. Winston’s Irish heritage (her great grandfather on her mother’s side was 1/16 Irish), I thought it would be fun to explore some little known facts about all things Irish.
• St. Patrick’s given name was Maewyn.
• Irish women received the right to vote before American women.
• The Irish alphabet has only 18 letters. J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y and Z are not used.
• Four Irish writers have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, G. Shaw, W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney.
• A horse is featured on the Irish 20-pence coin.
• Blue is Ireland’s official color.
• The first U.S. celebration of St. Patrick’s Day took place in Boston in 1737.
• St. Patrick is the patron saint of fishermen.
• St. Patrick’s Day is a legal holiday in Briarwood Beech, Ohio, and USA.
I hope that was as fun for you as it was for me. I just love interesting yet not particularly useful facts! I also love a theme, so today’s offering is a 10 Oz. Irish Coffee, as in mug, not liquor laced java. It is perfect for enjoying either the traditional Irish beverage from which it derives its name or just plain ole coffee. It’s a great gift for all your clients, whether it’s given during Irish Appreciation Month or anytime of year. The only thing that makes this stylish mug more appealing is, you guessed it, your name.
Mrs. Winston has decided to make a traditional Irish dinner of bacon joint, champ and curly kale so I’m off to the drug store to stock up on Tums. I leave you with a traditional Irish blessing:
May your feet never sweat,
Your neighbor give you ne’re a treat. When flowers bloom, I hope you’ll not sneeze, And may you always have someone to squeeze!