Faith, hope, love and luck; the four leaf clover.
Photo: flickr user annais 

What better time to search for four-leaf clovers than coming up to Ireland's feast day, St. Patrick's Day on March 17th.

Have you ever searched for a four-leaf clover? 
 
Hunting for luck has been a spring tradition dating back the pagan period, when four leaf clovers were sought after as Celtic charms. Today the four-leaf clover can be found on basketball jerseys, airplanes, and even cereal boxes. Here are a few facts you may not know about the cute little clover:

Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers are not the same thing. A Shamrock has three leaves, said to represent the Trinity. 

1. A four-leaf clover is a mutation of a shamrock, and can represent faith, hope, love and luck.  

2. Alternately, the four leaves stand for Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and God’s Grace.

3. The term "shamrock" comes from the Irish word, seamrog, which translates to "little clover"
During the reign of Queen Victoria, the shamrock was identified as a sign of rebellion and independence from the British crown 

4. To wear a shamrock on a military uniform was classified as a crime punishable by death.

5. The shamrock has been registered as a trademark by the Government of Ireland.

6. Clovers can have more than four leaflets:  the most ever recorded is twenty-one.

7. It has been estimated that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover.

8. For good luck, a four leaf clover can be included in the bouquet of an Irish bride, and also in the boutonniere of the groom.

9. According to Nathaniel Colgan, the botanist and author of The Flora Of County Dublin in 1904, people even ate the shamrock in times of famine.

10. No one can agree on which type of clover is the original shamrock.

And how do you find a four leaf clover? It's as simple as a keeping an eye out for the shape. A three leaf clover often has a tiny triangle at it's center, while a four leaf clover forms a square. Want to know more? 

Check out this fun video:
 

 
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