Luck o’ The Irish – It’s your Lucky Day

Need a little luck? There are three good luck traditions associated with St. Patrick’s Day:

1. Find a four-leaf clover: The Druids (Ancient priests who led nature based religious ceremonies in Celtic Britain and other European regions) believed that a four-leaf clover could help in spotting witches or other demons. Some modern day spiritualists claim that a four-leaf clover releases energy and helps one’s judgment. Yet others feel that finding a four leaf clover brings good fortune, not just on St. Patrick’s Day.

Normally, the clover plant produces the families “segmented” leaf with three parts. However, botanists believe that if a young clover leaf is damaged or exposed to certain chemicals then it produces a four-leaf clover.

2. Wear green: This color represents Ireland (the “Emerald Isle”), the shamrock, and spring. It is as closely associated with St. Patrick’s Day as red is with Valentine’s Day. Many schoolchildren and others – Irish or not – wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

3. Kiss the Blarney Stone: This famous stone is set in one of the walls in the tower of the Blarney Castle. It’s thought that an old woman cast a spell on the stone as a reward to the king for saving someone from drowning. Under the spell, the king spoke eloquently. According to legend, kissing the Blarney Stone brings the kisser “persuasive eloquence” (“blarney’).

Because of the stone’s location, it’s no easy feat to kiss it. One must bend over backward and hold onto a metal bar.