This is a reminder to everyone about March 17th. Four leaf clovers have nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. A shamrock has three leafs because this is how St. Patrick explained the Trinity to the people of Ireland. I spend Jan-Feb-March writing to owners of Embroidery sites telling them about this. You wouldn't believe the responses I have received. Please don't purchase four leaf clovers for St. Patrick's Day or Ireland. If any digitizers need other symbols for Ireland, send me a message and I will write one for you.

I'm glad you told us all this. I knew it, but I thought I was the only one who cared about the difference. A friend of mine, who is Irish, always came into my class on St. Patrick's Day and told my students about the history of the day, about how Ireland was, and about the potatoes, about the snakes, and of course about the shamrocks. But, I believe the part about being lucky and irish is still a bit traditional - Like the Lucky Charms cereal and catching a leprechan and a pot of gold.

Since you are citing facts, I graciously would like to point out an error in your post: shamrocks do not have "three leafs because this is how St. Patrick explained the Trinity." He used shamrocks because they generally have three leaves connected to one stem. St. Patrick did not create the plant--it existed in abundance..

The "Trinity" plants of Ireland are actually clovers and related to the pea family (legume). Four-leaf clovers occur naturally at an estimated rate of 1 per every 10,000 three-leaf clovers. Shamrock sold in stores for St. Patrick's day are Oxalis and unrelated to clovers. So, go ahead and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your preference of religious traditions or the luck of the Irish!

2 comments

by queenofhearts 20 Jan 2015

Did Jane say that St. Patrick created the shamrock? No. He used the shamrock to explain the Trinity because it has 3 leafs.

by AuntAnnie 21 Jan 2015

Right, because the plant already had three leaves. Not because St. Patrick used it to explain the Trinity.

Having a husband that is Irish, I have a fun time telling people that a shamrock is 3 leaves not 4. People comment about my clovers but I am quick to respond NOT clover, shamrocks ! I only buy if it is three leaves as I havn`t learnt yet how to take something out of a design and change it , there are some beautiful designs out there for St Patricks Day ... but they have clovers in them !! :(

I just looked at all of my designs for St. Patrick's Day and I have 35, 8 of which were clovers and not St. Patrick's designs. Never paid any attention before. Thanks for the public service announcement. ;)

2 comments

by bevintex 19 Jan 2015

will you stop using them?

by jrob 10 Mar 2015

I'm not sure I've ever used them in the first place. Not sure why I have them?