As children, many of us have searched tirelessly four leaf clovers either lucky clovers in the field or garden, hoping to find fortune through this unique plant, and very often without being able to find it. But where does the belief that finding a four leaf clover is lucky?
what is the lucky clover
We know with the name clover a group of plants of the genus Trifolium that includes more than 250 different species originating from Europe.
They are small herbaceous perennial plants that produce small red, purple, white or yellow flowers.
He common white clover (Trifolium repens) and the red clover (Trifolium pratense) They are the most cultivated as food for livestock. They also help to improve and conserve the land, since they add nitrogen to the soil and increase the availability of other nutrients for subsequent crops.
the name itself Trifolium already points to one of the main characteristics of these plants: their three leaves. However, on rare occasions you can find four or more leaf clovers. According to popular culture, finding a four-leaf clover brings luck.
lucky clover: meaning and symbolism
He origin of the belief that the four-leaf clover brings luck is associated with the ancient celtic civilizationswho gave these plants magical powers of protection and believed that they could drive away evil spirits. According to your beliefs, Whoever carried a lucky clover could see fairies.
Later, the symbolism of the four-leaf clover was mixed with the christian beliefs. The three «normal» sheets of the clover came to symbolize the faith, hope and loveand the fourth (the rare one), fortune.
Clover has a special importance in Irelandwhere is one of the symbols of the country along with the harp and the color green. According to Irish legends, Saint Patrickthe skipper of Ireland, used the shamrock (a green three-leaf clover) to explain the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity to the Irish during Christianization in the 5th century. In celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the four-leaf clover is often used as a symbol of good luck.
lucky clover: odds of finding one
The chance of finding one is said to be rare: according to the magazine Readers Digesta team of Swiss researchers found that it was 1 in 5,076 three-leaf clovers.
It is often believed that finding one of these clovers involves fortune and riches in the near future. It is also said that The four leaves represent faith, hope, love and luck.
Although four-leaf clovers are rare, rarer are those with five leaves or more, although one with 56 leaves has been found.
The appearance of these “extra” leaves has to do with a genetic mutation and with external factors such as soil temperature and acidity.
How to find a four-leaf clover?
Fortune and chance play a key role in finding a four-leaf clover, but there are also some factors that can help you:
- Look in well-lit placess, it will be easier to find one. You must search during sunny hours because clovers “close” their leaves about an hour before sunset.
- Some species of clover, such as the common clover, have a white line that forms a triangle when the clover has three leaves and a square when it has four. Look at this pattern to spot squares.
- Relax your eyes while you search. It is best not to bend down or get too close to the plants in order to detect changes in the pattern.
- If you have already found one, look in the same area because you are more likely to find another one. Due to a mix between a genetic mutation and the terrain, they tend to grow in groups.
- Be patientrelax and take the search as an adventure.