St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, which means it’s time to celebrate with parades, corned beef and cabbage, green beer and more. Some might even prefer to go on a lengthy search for a leprechaun and its pot of gold, or almost as difficult, go hunting for shamrocks and four-leaf clovers.
A four-leaf clover, extremely rare to find, is associated with St. Patrick’s Day. It turns out you’re more likely to get in a car accident that day than find one. Your odds are a lot higher for many other unlucky things as well.
How are shamrocks and four-leaf clovers related to St. Patrick's Day?
According to History.com, St. Patrick used a shamrock, or three-leaf clover, to explain the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to Irish natives. While the four-leaf clover wasn’t historically associated with the holiday, it came to be recognized as a “symbol of luck,” according to Inside Science. The website said the odds of finding one are 1 in 10,000.
How rare is a four-leaf clover?
According to The Weather Network, a four-leaf clover is rare, and difficult to find. A quick Google search said the odds are 1 in 10,000, but a 2017 study says chances are much better, with a 1 in 5,000 chance. Inside Science also reported 1 in 10,000 odds.
What is more likely to happen than finding a four-leaf clover?
While chances are better to find a four-leaf clover than being struck by lightning or winning the Powerball, it’s more likely to get in a car accident or get audited by the IRS.
Here’s a list of things more likely to happen than finding a four-leaf clover:
- Getting a phone call from the IRS: According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, 1.9 per 1,000 taxpayers were audited in 2022.
- Having twins: According to The Tech Interactive, identical twins are three to four of every 1,000 births.
- Experiencing food poisoning: According to the CDC, one in six Americans get sick from foodborne diseases annually.
- Dying in a car crash: According to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in a car crash annually are one in 93. Additionally, studies show per 1,000 miles driven, 1 in 366 will get in a crash.
- Being ambidextrous: According to Reader’s Digest, about 1%, or every 1 in 100 people, are ambidextrous.
- Finding a double yolk egg: According to Pete & Gary’s, the odds of finding an egg with two yolks is every 1 in 1,000.
- Experiencing a home fire: According to the American Red Cross, approximately 1 in 3,000 households experiences a fire.
- Catching a foul ball: According to SBNation.com, the chances of catching a foul ball at a game are one in 580.
- Being born on Leap Day: According to POPSUGAR, the odds of a baby being born on Leap Day are about 1 in 1,461.
Others are reading:What is corned beef and how do you cook it? The story behind this St. Patrick's Day recipe
How common is drunk driving on St. Patrick's Day?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one person is killed every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the U.S. on average. In 2022, 15% of Kentucky roadway deaths involved a drunk driver.
St. Patrick’s Day, one of the biggest holidays annually for drunk driving, can be quite dangerous. According to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in 2023, 30 crashes statewide involving a drunken driver took place on St. Patrick’s Day in 2020, 2021 and 2022, with 24 injuries and six fatalities.
When is St. Patrick's Day 2024?Here's why (and who) we celebrate.
Jim Gray, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet secretary, said, according to a release, “Drunken driving crashes are 100 percent preventable. With all the sober ride options available, there is never an excuse for driving after drinking. Don’t be the reason someone—including yourself—doesn’t get home safely.”
When is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
What is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick died in the 5th century, but it wasn’t until the 9th or 10th century where it gained recognition in the Roman Catholic church as a feast day, according to History.com. Traditionally a religious and spiritual holiday, it became more of a celebration through modern times.
According to the National Portrait Gallery, in America, the holiday “is recognized by shamrocks, leprechauns, parades, and all things green.”
FAQs
The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck. It's often said that Ireland is home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the phrase “the luck of the Irish.”
What are the odds of finding a 4 leaf clover? ›
According to The Weather Network, a four-leaf clover is rare, and difficult to find. A quick Google search said the odds are 1 in 10,000, but a 2017 study says chances are much better, with a 1 in 5,000 chance. Inside Science also reported 1 in 10,000 odds.
What does it mean to find a 5-leaf clover? ›
According to superstition, a 5-leaf clover brings good luck to whoever finds one–even more luck than a four-leaf clover. Five-leaf clovers are also said to bring financial and spiritual wealth. They may also signify transitions and new adventures.
Has anyone ever found a four-leaf clover? ›
But four-leaf clovers exist, all right, and this is how you can find one: Look for a patch of clovers. 1 in 5,000-10,000 clovers is a four-leafed clover, so your chances are better if you're looking at a whole bunch of them. Make sure they're actually clovers.
What is the superstition finding a four-leaf clover? ›
According to the legend, the leaves of a four-leaf clover represent hope, faith, love, and a fourth for good luck. A common belief during the Middle Ages was if someone carried a four-leaf clover, they would have the ability to see fairies.
What to do if I find a four-leaf clover? ›
If you do happen to find one… keep searching that area! A 2017 survey concluded that around 1 in 5,000 clovers is four-leaved, but they do tend to be found in clusters. Statistically, if a clover plant produces one four-leaf clover, it's likely to produce more of them than normal plants would.
Why is it so rare to find a four-leaf clover? ›
It is debated whether the fourth leaf is caused genetically or environmentally. Its relative rarity (1 in ~5,000 clovers) suggests a possible recessive gene appearing at a low frequency. Alternatively, four-leaf clovers could be caused by somatic mutation or a developmental error of environmental causes.
How hard is it to find 4 leaf clover? ›
The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are one in ten thousand. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are one in ten thousand. Four-leaf clovers are an accepted symbol of good luck around the world throughout the year.
Is a 4 or 5 leaf clover more rare? ›
Statistical analysis website Minitab says the odds of finding a four-leaf clover on the first try are 10,000 to one, while the odds of finding a five-leaf clover on the first try are one million to one. Five-leaf clovers are also meant to bring more luck and financial success to the finder than a four-leaf.
What is good luck 3 or 4 leaf clover? ›
A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from. The four-leafed clover, or “lucky clover”, is an uncommon variation of the three-leafed clover, and widely considered to be a symbol of good luck.
Four-leaf clovers are considered lucky for their rarity. In the Middle Ages, it was believed by some Celtic groups that wielding a four-leaf clover would help you see fairies, as well as ward off evil spirits and grant the holder good luck.
Can you get a 10 leaf clover? ›
The mutation does not stop at the 4-leafed variety: 5-leafed clovers are not uncommon. However, the more leaflets, the harder they are to find (and the luckier they are): the record is an 18-leaf clover, and the highest I've ever seen is 10-leafed.
What does the four-leaf clover mean in the Bible? ›
As Adam and Eve were leaving the Garden of Eden, Eve is said to have plucked a single four-leafed clover as a souvenir of paradise, and this religious connection has led to them being considered lucky ever since.
What does a clover mean with 4 leaves? ›
The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover that has four leaflets instead of three. According to traditional sayings, such clovers bring good luck, although it is not clear when or how this idea began.
What does it mean when you find a 4 leaf clover in your relationship? ›
Each of the four leaves is thought to represent a specific energy such as Love, Hope, Faith, and Luck. Generally a four leaf clover is given as a symbol of balance - in relationship and in life, etc.. It may also be religious or symbolic to the giver.
What is the saying about the four-leaf clover luck? ›
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.” To create a fun collage using this Irish Proverb, we focused on bold font pairings to highlight certain words in the quote.
Is it lucky to find a 3 or 4 leaf clover? ›
A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from. The four-leafed clover, or “lucky clover”, is an uncommon variation of the three-leafed clover, and widely considered to be a symbol of good luck.
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