Origins: Lucky Charms and St. Patrick

Amira Haddad ’23

Staff Writer

As St. Patkrick’s day is approaching there are many different beliefs on what St. Packrick’s day has to do with luck. The belief that most children have is that leprechauns hide a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for people to find. The pot of gold is considered to be lucky because gold is linked to wealth and fortune. It is also a symbol of luck due to its connection to rainbows, which are considered magical and signs of hope and prosperity. There are many different good luck charms that people have with them to be associated with being lucky. 

Senior Camille Wardin has a good luck necklace. Her mom gave her the necklace and she wears it when she needs luck. She considers it to be her good luck charm. When asked senior Iris Patel she said “I have a lucky pencil that I use. I used it on important tests that I take, including the SAT. When I use this pencil I seem to always score well.” Senior Max Novak has good luck socks. “I wore these socks for every important football game we had a senior year.” 

There are many different beliefs but the most common one is that Christian communities all over Ireland follow the theory of Saint Patrick’s Trinity and represent it with a three-leaf shamrock and finding a four-leaf clover is symbolic of good luck.

Camille Wardin ’23

Staff Writer

St. Patrick was born in Britain to a Romanized family. At the age of 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and he was taken to Ireland as a slave. He spent six dark years in slavery, clinging to the only thing he had, his faith. One evening in captivity, Patrick dreamt of him escaping and fleeing, so he did. With God at his side, he made a strenuous trip back to Britain and was eventually reunited with his family.

Even though he was originally from Britain, St. Patrick was a 5th-century missionary to Ireland. He is credited with bringing Christianity to parts of Ireland and was partly responsible for the Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons. He was a bishop in Ireland for some time and is now one of the patron saints of Ireland. There are many legends associated with the life of St. Patrick. According to one, he miraculously drove all the snakes of Ireland into the sea. He is also said to have used the three leaflets of the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. He reportedly raised as many as 33 people from the dead. The story of St. Patrick is one that has continued in Christianity and spread alongside legends of leprechauns and pots of gold.