What's so lucky about four-leaf clovers?

Chloë Nannestad (RD.com, 3/14/22); Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Here's a beautiful four-leaf clover (Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Images)

.

Why four-leaf clovers are lucky

With a diaspora this size, we're all a li'l Irish

We all know carrying a four-leaf clover will bring us good fortune, but the history of this lucky symbol may surprise.

Whether one is a fan of the Boston Celtics or just has a countdown to St. Patrick’s Day (Why do we celebrate it?) on the calendar, we all know the shamrock (a.k.a. the three-leafed clover) and all it represents:

• Ireland
• Celtic heritage
• a fun St. Patrick’s Day
• tradition and symbolism.

But when it comes to the shamrock’s famously lucky relative, the four-leaf clover, its meaning gets more complicated.

Why is the four-leaf clover considered lucky?

One legend has it that the luck factor comes from Eden’s Eve herself. As Adam and Eve were leaving the Garden of Eden, having been thrown out by the God, Eve is said to have plucked a single four-leafed clover as a souvenir of paradise.

This religious connection has led to them being considered "lucky" ever since. [Irish luck? As in "the luck of the Irish? As in, "If you're lucky enough to be born Irish, you're lucky enough."]

The Celts considered four-leaf clovers to have magical powers of protection, able to ward off evil and bad luck. It was also believed that carrying a clover allowed the bearer to see fairies.

Woodland fairies or "earth angels" are real.

Celtic fairies [Buddhist devas, kumbandhas, nagas, and yakkhas] were dangerous little creatures who might play deadly tricks or steal children, so carrying a clover meant one could take evasive action if one were spotted.

By the way, this is why we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

Four-leaf clover’s connection to St. Paddy’s Day

I love children. I really love them.

Another legend says that when St. Patrick brought Christianity [Roman Catholicism via British Padraig or "Saint Patrick"] to ancient Ireland, he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity [the appropriated Hindu idea that God is threefold unified as One]:

• First leaf represents the Father,
• second the Son,
• third the Holy Ghost or Spirit.

Nicaea icon - Christian Holy Spirit

However, the belief that four-leaf clovers are lucky may have already existed among the Celtic peoples, probably because of the proliferation of clovers in Ireland and the rarity of finding one with four leaves.

Many Celtic pagan traditions were blended with the new Roman religion over the years, and the importance of the clover was one of them. The four-leaf clover meaning became intertwined with Christianity so that the first three leaves came to represent Faith, Hope, and Love, and the fourth leaf, God’s grace, or Luck.

Why do four-leaf clovers exist?

Science is new God, scientists in white its priests

Although it has been said that four-leaf clovers are exceedingly rare — as few as one in 10,000 — an independent study carried out by Swiss researchers looked at 5.7 million clovers.

They found that the likelihood of finding one four-leaf clover was 1 in 5,076 three-leafed ones, which are much better odds than 10,000:1.

A genetic study at the University of Georgia concluded that any more than three leaves on a clover are due to a genetic mutation in the genome of the common clover species, white clover (or Trifolium repens).

This tracks with the Swiss study, where they discovered that the likelihood of finding a five-leafed clover (the extra leaf represents Wealth, so keep an eye out for these) was 1 per 24,390 three-leafed clovers. The chance of a six-leafed clover was 1 per 312,500 three-leafers.

No word as to the meaning of that sixth leaf, but being so rare, it must be something lucky. Read up on St. Patrick’s Day memes that are very relatable.

What is the difference between shamrocks and four-leaf clovers?

The short answer: one small leaf. “Shamrock,” which comes from the Old Irish word seamróg, means “little clover” and describes a three-leaf clover. More

What if Irish and Scots Irish culture had its very own US Shamrock Radio? | iHeart