We explain what the lucky clover is, what meaning it had for the Celts and what its relationship is with Saint Patrick in Christianity.
What is lucky clover?
The four-leaf clover, considered the lucky clover, is a rare variant of the trifolium (from the Latin “three leaves”) or clover, a genus of herbaceous plants. It is a type of wild plant very common in the temperate and subtropical regions of Africa, America, Asia and Europe, whose four-leaf specimens are extremely rare: it is estimated that several thousand regular clovers are born for each four-leaf clover, and this is why Its discovery is considered a symbol of good fortune.
When it comes to culture and traditions, the shamrock is a very popular symbol, especially for European people. This is partly because It was considered an herb of magical potential by ancient Celtic peoples who used it as an amulet against bad luck and against evil goblins and fairies.
Hence the evangelizer of Roman Britain, the missionary Patrick of Ireland (5th century) or Saint Patrick chose a shamrock to explain to the Celts the mystery of the Christian Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). Since then, the shamrock has been considered an important symbol of the history of these regions of Europe and is used as decoration on every St. Patrick's Day (March 17). For that same reason, it is associated in the region with the identity of nations with a strong Celtic legacy, such as Ireland.
According to this Christian tradition, the fourth leaf of lucky clovers represents God's grace or divine good luck. Variants of this myth attribute a specific attribute to each leaf: love, money, health and luck.
On the other hand, Its rarity is due to the fact that it is a very specific and rare genetic mutation among clovers which has contributed to giving them their mysterious and surprising aura. The truth is that it is possible to find clovers with more than four leaves: the Guinness record in the matter is held by a 56-leaf clover grown in 2009 by Shigeo Obara, a Japanese farmer.
Continue with: Superstition
References
- “Trifolium” in Wikipedia.
- “Why is it so difficult to find a four-leaf clover?” on ABC Ciencia.
- “Why Four-Leaf Clovers are considered Lucky?” in Reader's Digest.
- “Clover (plant)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
