Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers Associated With Luck?

If you’re feeling lucky and want to take a chance on some casino games, LuckyStar Casino is the place to do that. Many people who play casino games are superstitious to some degree and they believe in the power of lucky charms.

One charm in particular that many people have heard of is the four-leaf clover. In this post, we’ll reveal some information about the rare plant and explain how it came to be associated with luck.

A Simple Explanation for Four-Leaf Clovers Being Lucky

Clovers are a family of around 300 flowering plants that originated in Europe and can be found in many temperate climates around the world. They can live for up to two years and typically grow to a height of around 30cm.

Most clovers have three leaves. It’s estimated that one in every 5,000 has an extra fourth leaf. No one knows exactly why some clovers develop an extra leaf, though several possible explanations have been put forward. These include environmental causes, recessive genes and some sort of mutation.

Four-leaf clovers are said to be lucky simply because they’re so rare. Finding one is hard to do, but not impossible. Of the four leaves, the ‘extra’ one is usually smaller or darker in colour than the other three that the plant’s supposed to have.

Clovers with more than four leaves have been found. People have come across clovers with as many as five, six, seven or more leaves and these are progressively rarer than the four-leaf ones. The world record for the most leaves on a single clover, believe it or not, is 56. The unique plant was discovered by Shigeo Obara in Japan, who had found the previous record-holder, a clover with 21 leaves.

Shamrocks and Four-Leaf Clovers Compared

Shamrocks are clovers that have three leaves. If you happen to find a four-leaf clover, it’s called just that - it’s not a shamrock in any way. According to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock as a representation of the Holy Trinity in Christianity. With St. Patrick being Ireland’s patron saint, the shamrock has been a national symbol of Ireland since the 18th century.

The shamrock is commonly associated with Ireland and has a rich cultural heritage. However, it’s not to be confused with the four-leaf clover; the two are similar, but have different characteristics, traits and connections.

Four-Leaf Clovers Now and in the Past

As well as luck, four-leaf clovers are associated with faith, hope and love. Each leaf is supposed to represent a different concept. We’ve mentioned how in the past, shamrocks were linked with the Trinity; this is also the case for four-leaf clovers, with the fourth leaf standing for the Grace of God. Many religious people today see these plants as symbols of good fortune and divine protection.

In the Medieval times, it was believed that if you carried a four-leaf clover on your person, you would be able to see fairies and have good fortune come your way. The first literary mention of clovers with four leaves bringing luck was made in 1620 in a piece of writing by Sir John Melton.

There are also references to the plants being used for medicinal purposes and for symbols of luck by people, especially young girls, pursuing happiness.

In contemporary culture, not just in Ireland but also in many other countries, the four-leaf clover is one of the most popular lucky charms. Many brands feature it in their advertising and general product design. For example, the four-leaf clover has been part of the Celtic Football Club’s official logo for over 40 years and appears in the logo for the New Jersey Lottery.

Try Your Luck at Four-Leaf Clover Slots

A testament to the popularity of the four-leaf clover is the fact that there are so many online slots featuring the famous plant. There are lots of Irish-themed slot games available to play here at LuckyStar Casino and many of them focus on the four-leaf clover. Some of our suggested games include:

• Lucky Clover. A 5-payline slot with a progressive jackpot.
• Clover Lady. New for 2021, this slot has a respin feature with four jackpot prizes that can be won.
• Clover Riches. This 20-payline slot has three free spins rounds with multipliers to choose from.

Give these slots a spin and check out some of our other Irish-themed slot games, including Irish Treasures and Leprechaun’s Magic Megaways. Don’t forget to claim our current bonuses to make your deposits go further.