12 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About St Patrick's Day
7. And The Irish Shamrock Actually Has Three Leaves, Not The Four Commonly Used
A "four-leaved clover" or shamrock is said to bring great luck, so rare are they - but it is actually the three-leaved variety that St Patrick is associated with. The legend goes that, while attempting to spread the word of Christianity around Ireland, St Patrick picked up a three-leaved shamrock to show to the general populous. This shamrock then became a symbol to depict the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit when St Patrick preached to the Irish - and that is why it became synonymous with him.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
A "four-leaved clover" or shamrock is said to bring great luck, so rare are they - but it is actually the three-leaved variety that St Patrick is associated with. The legend goes that, while attempting to spread the word of Christianity around Ireland, St Patrick picked up a three-leaved shamrock to show to the general populous. This shamrock then became a symbol to depict the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit when St Patrick preached to the Irish - and that is why it became synonymous with him.