Why do you see a four leaf clover on a traditional good luck card?

The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the three-leaf clover accepted as a symbol of good luck on charms and good luck cards.  Most of us at some time or other have played along with the ‘superstition’ of 3-leaf clover hunting – often in our childhood.  Few of us though may be aware of the origins of this traditional symbol.

There are a variety of stories as to the origins of its association with the attributes of good luck.

It is said that Eve carried a four-leaf clover from the Garden of Eden.  It is known that amongst the Celtic cultures,  White clover in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil. Druids too considered them a sign of luck.

There is a notation in good luck history of Sir John Melton writing in 1620: "If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing".

According to legend, each leaflet of the four-leaf clover represents something: the first is for hope the second is for faith, the third is for love and the fourth is for luck.

Science remains undecided on whether the occurrence of the fourth leaflet is caused genetically or environmentally. Its rarity though leads many to suppose its appearance is a result of a recessive gene though it could just as likely be the result of environmental factors.  Whatever the reason, we continue to hunt for the four-leaf clover in our woodlands, and our card shops.

The rarer four-leaf clover is considered particularly powerful as a good luck charm , making it the obvious symbol for a good luck card.

Written by Geraldine Jozefiak
Craft Expert and Demonstrator

For your FREE 28 page guide 'Never Run Out of Things To Write In Greeting Cards Again' Click Here