Lucky Charms may be known as a delicious breakfast cereal today, but this was not always the case. A charm, once upon a time, was meant as a way to promote something that the wearer or creator so desired. In this case, it is meant to promote good luck. What form of luck that may be resides solely on representation, as well as the purpose of said charm. Seeing as it is March, and St. Patrick’s day resides within this month, the shamrock and many other forms of charms have some form of a tie to luck.
The Shamrock
First and foremost, we have the shamrock, better known as the four-leaf clover. Why is the four leaf clover considered so lucky? The lesser known fact of this leafy green is that it is not the luckiest symbol, after all. Evidently, it is lucky, but anyone that is fortunate enough to find a five-leaf clover is bound to have more luck and financial success. Given the odds of finding a five-leaf clover are 1,000,000 to 1, you will have much more luck finding a four-leaf clover at 10,000 to 1, which is still more rare than the standard three-leaf clover. The figures and math for this ratio can be found at Minitab.
The Lucky Penny
Second up, the aptly named “Lucky Penny”. “Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck.” So the saying goes. But what this fun little saying leaves out is that all that luck rides on which side faces up. If it is heads facing up, you have good luck. If the tails side is showing, it’s best to leave it there. This lucky penny is a part of luck money. In ye olden days, merchants would give a penny back to their customers as a way of giving them good luck with their purchase. There is also a piece of information that is more uncommon than the placement of the penny and how you found it. If you were to turn the lucky penny over and over in your hand three times on a new moon, it will bring you more good luck and prosperity (supposedly). All this and more can be found on Pennlive!
Why Wear Green?
We are all familiar with the warning: better wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, or else you’ll get pinched! But why is that the case? Green was never a part of the original religious holiday, much less the pinching factor. It would seem that it is only something that people in the United States do for some reason. It is recommended that you wear green on St. Patrick’s Day to stay invisible to Leprechauns. Yes, Leprechauns: the little men who will give you gold for certain reasons and the mascot of the aforementioned breakfast cereal. This ‘rule’ is only supported by some folklore and mythology of the area. For a deeper look and understanding, I suggest looking at Irish Central for more information.
All these forms of lucky charms are all good and well and are representative of a holiday that has become a largely fun time for all, but luck will only go so far. It is up to you to do what you can to make this luck and take it for all that it is worth. When St. Patrick’s day rolls around, remember this, and hold onto that luck and pursue it to the fullest.
Works Cited
Editor, Minitab Blog. “Odds Ratios and St. Patrick's Day: Are 4-Leaf Clovers Really All That Lucky?” Minitab Blog, blog.minitab.com/en/odds-ratios-st-pattys-day-4-leaf-clovers-all-that-lucky.
jhatmaker@pennlive.com, Julia Hatmaker |. “Charm Your Way into Having the Luck of the Irish.” Pennlive, 16 Mar. 2012, www.pennlive.com/life/2012/03/charm_your_way_into_having_the.html.
“Wear Green on Saint Patrick's Day or Get Pinched: the Rules.” IrishCentral.com, 27 Feb. 2021, www.irishcentral.com/culture/craic/wear-green-saint-patricks-day-pinch-rules.
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