There are actually many plants that are clovers and some that are mimics. Most of us are familiar with white clover and red clover, but there is also lesser trefoil, or hop clover, and black medick not a true clover. I'm sure you have seen the beautiful Oxalis plants of which there are about species according to Wikipedia. Wood sorrels are also sometimes confused with clovers.
What about four-leaved clovers? One would certainly need to be lucky to find a four-leaf clover. So what are the differences between shamrocks and clovers? Not all clovers are shamrocks, but all shamrocks are clovers. Clovers are in the Trifolium family and the word Trifolium means having three leaves.
A clover can't be a shamrock if it has four leaves. Having four leaves is just a genetic mutation of a three-leaf clover. So there is no confusion the national symbol of Ireland is the Harp , not the shamrock. In fact, Ireland is the only country in the world with a musical instrument as its national symbol.
Patrick allegedly used the three-leaf clover to teach people about Christianity as he traveled around Ireland. In part, you would be correct. On the other hand, he certainly did put it on the main stage. The shamrock was originally associated with the Celtic goddess Ana or Anu, with the three leaves representing her status as the maiden, mother and crone of Ireland. If you have read my article on the top Celtic symbols , you will know that Celts had this massive belief in the number 3.
Just like with the Awen Celtic Symbol , this meaning of three was represented in so many ways. Celtic society was organised around the sacred three, with three classes, three colours, and three principal gods. This is because at the time it was reported as truth, Irish people had already chosen it as their symbol.
It is possible that St Patrick knew the importance of the number 3 to the Celts and used the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It has been considered the unofficial national flower of Ireland for centuries. These appear to show a figure of St Patrick preaching to a crowd while holding a shamrock, presumably to explain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Patrick depicted with shamrock in detail of stained glass window in St. By the s, it had undoubtedly been adopted as the emblem of the Irish Volunteers, a militia with republican sympathies.
Shamrock represents greater heights in life and beautiful beginnings. Truthfully, massive shamrock growth in your life is symbolic of your breakthroughs. The shape of shamrock represents love. That is why in Ireland, the shamrock emblem is used in military gear to express love for the country and patriotism.
Besides, it represents the productivity of the land due to the green color of the shamrock. Significantly, the shamrock emblem symbolizes protection and unity among the Irish people. For tattoos with shamrock, plans have an attractive look, intense creativity.
Often it symbolizes success, wealth, and achievements. Besides, the shamrock tattoos look good on peaceful and calm people, who know how to tame their pride and maintain their cool. This fact is generally known and accepted in most cultures — look at leprechauns and trinkets on St. Shamrocks, though, are not to be confused with four-leaf clovers , although both can be associated with good luck and fortune. Although they symbolize roughly the same things, the reasoning behind the symbolism is different.
While the four-leaf clover is thought to be lucky because of its rareness, the shamrock symbol is lucky because of its abundance and prevalence in nature. Obviously, there is a strong connection, one which has stood the test of time.
This is evident in their work with design and Celtic knots. Shamrocks were thus viewed as naturally-occurring examples of that sacred and holy number. The most well-known associate of the shamrock comes in the form of the stories of St.
He held the shamrock in the same regard as the ancient Celts, adopting it as a teaching tool. Patrick lived his life in a way that demonstrated its symbolism of the holy trinity : the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The shamrock was a meaningful symbol to the Irish pagans before the arrival of Christianity, due to its connection to the number three. The shamrock is the emblem of the patron saint of Ireland — St. Legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock with its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity to the Celtic pagans.
Most portrayals of St. Patrick show him with a cross in one hand and a shamrock in the other. Today, people wear green and sport shamrocks on St. Because of this association with St. Patrick, the shamrock has become the symbol of Ireland. During the s, Irish nationalist groups used the shamrock as their emblem, essentially turning it into a national symbol.
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