The Saint Patrick’s Day Shamrock & Four-Leaf Clover

The Shamrock & Four-Leaf Clover!
Along with parades and pub parties, you will see a ton of little green plants adorning outfits this St.Patrick’s Day. The little plant called the Shamrock is a symbol of Irish pride and Christianity.  The Shamrock is the National Flower of Ireland and before the time of Christianity, the Shamrock was widely accepted as a symbol of the phases of the moon. At the time of Saint Patrick, the Shamrock, or clover, became recognized as a religious symbol.

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The plant was reportedly first recorded as early as 1726 and according to legend, the plant was used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  According to legend, two differing stories explain Saint Patrick’s connection to the clover. One story describes Saint Patrick who stood on a mound of clover and plucked a clover to explain the Trinity, converting many people to Christianity that day. The second story begins with St.Patrick planting clover all over Ireland in order to chase off snakes. Although there is no historical evidence of Saint Patrick’s connection with the Shamrock, his image almost always includes him holding the three-leaf plant!
Facts about the shamrock:
-The shamrock is located in the lower right quadrant of the Montreal, Quebec, Canada to represent the Irish population.
-The shamrock is featured in Canadian Coat of arms.
-Aer Lingus airline uses the shamrock in its logo and its air traffic control call sign is “Shamrock.”
-The shamrock is one of the symbols of the Aryan Brotherhood, a        prison gang.
-The shamrock is featured on the passport stamp of Montserrat, many of whose citizens are of Irish descent.



Along with the Shamrock, is its sister the four-leaf clover. The four-leaf clover differs from the shamrock in that it is a symbol of good luck. The four leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the three leaved shamrock and is known to bring luck to its finder. Each leaf represents something different, the first hope, second faith and third is for love and the fourth for luck.
Click to read about St.Patrick’s Day Long Island Events