As we celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, we thought we’d reflect not just on the “luck of the Irish” but how they and other cultures celebrate the idea of luck.
Italy: In Italy it’s bad luck to wish someone good luck. Similar to our “break a leg” the Italians say: In bocca al lupo! (Into the mouth of the wolf!) and the response is always “crepi!” (May it die!). It was originally an expression used between hunters, then moved to theater circles and then became part of the general vernacular.
Ireland and many others: We would be remiss if we did not discuss the lucky symbol associated with St Patrick’s day, the four-leafed clover! Normally clovers also known as shamrocks (from the Irish seamróg) have 3 leaves. In Poland, your run-of-the-mill 3-leaf clover is considered enough to be lucky. Most cultures who consider the clover as a symbol of luck hold out for the rarer (1 in 10,000) 4-leaf variety. According to one legend Saint Patrick used the Shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish and has subsequently become a national symbol. According to another legend, Eve took a four-leafed clover with her to remind her of the lushness of Eden. Yet another legend claims the Druids collected them because of the rarity.