I Use More Than the 'Luck of the Irish' to Bring a Change of Fortune
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Credit Lauren Rosenblum
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Credit Lauren Rosenblum
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Here are the seven good-luck charms that I swear by.
By Lauren Rosenblum | Email the author | March 16, 2011
My family is not Irish, but what my mother lacks in Irish roots she makes up for in superstitious beliefs. Besides the whole broken-mirror-seven-years-bad-luck thing, I also couldn’t walk under a ladder or open an umbrella indoors.
My Jewish mom, who flips homes as a hobby, buries St. Joseph statues in the front lawn of her listings. She figuratively spits by saying “pooh, pooh” in reaction to something especially evil. She knocks on wood to keep something bad from happening when she thinks she might’ve jinxed herself. She says she gets all of this from her grandmother.
Without fail she says “God bless you” when someone sneezes. But she also believes that when a person sneezes during a conversation, whatever has just been said "is the truth."
And, though superstitions aren’t logical, I've grown up believing that the idea of luck can be comforting—especially when we’re so often reminded that life is fragile and things are beyond our control.
Perhaps that is what family traditions are all about, anyway. They call to mind tender memories of times gone by and quirky great-grandmothers whom we dearly miss. There is nothing silly or superstitious about that.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and the "luck of the Irish," I wanted to share seven of my lucky charms with you.
1. Thomas Jefferson's Impassive StareThe rarely used $2 bill, which occasionally turns up in birthday cards and souvenir drawers, is my No. 1 lucky charm. Since I turned 16, I’ve kept a crisp $2 bill folded in my wallet under my driver’s license. My mom gave me the 2005 bill and told me to carry it with me always.2. Penny in the GettyWhile tossing a coin into a fountain for good luck is a custom undertaken in many parts of the world, it is most common to watch this practice at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. Unfortunately, I don't live in Rome. I live here in Encino. So I like to carry on the tradition here and throw a penny in the Getty fountain upon every visit.3. Lucky 7:11
The time 7:11 is considered lucky in my household. I have no idea why, and we don’t even make a wish. We just scream “7:11!” and look at our clocks to note the time. If we catch it in the morning and in the evening, it’s a doubly lucky day. You can't set an alarm clock or timer though; that's cheating.4. Broken BreastboneWhen my Dad carved a turkey or chicken, he’d always leave the dried breastbone for me and my younger sister when we were kids. We would tug on the wishbone, each making a wish. After the bone broke, the person with the bigger piece would have her wish granted.5. Fallen EyelashesA stray eyelash is seen as a wish maker, much like the wishbone. If an eyelash falls on my cheek, I always put it on my finger, make a wish and blow it away.6. Zen Bamboo
When I first moved out on my own, my mom bought me three stalks of bamboo. She said it was lucky. The vase has moved with me from apartment to apartment, and so far, it's the only plant my black thumb has been able to keep alive!7. When You Wish Upon a Star
A person lucky enough to see a shooting star is supposed to make a secret wish.And speaking of secret wishes, my mother always told me that you’re never supposed to tell anyone else what you’ve wished for. But today, I'll make an exception.
I wish Encino Patch readers a happy, healthy St. Patrick's Day. Have fun Thursday, be safe and good luck to you all!
Monday, March 28, 2011
I Use More Than the 'Luck of the Irish' to Bring A Change of Fortune
So much of life is luck
St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to consider luck, good and bad.
While people talk about the luck of the Irish in a whimsical, mythological way, you have to wonder if there's anything to it.
Ireland was, after all, invaded by the Vikings, plundered by Cromwell's army, subjected to a plantation system, stripped of its native tongue and suffered through a terrible famine.
It was, alas, a potato famine in the 1800s that drove millions from that country to America, where they were lucky enough to start over in a land of plenty and promise.
Bad luck therefore led to good luck.
Or was it just fate?
Rabbit's foot
I have a friend who has carried a rabbit's foot for several decades and considers it a good luck charm.
It was not so lucky, however, for the rabbit.
People have all kinds of talismans hanging around their necks, from their rearview mirrors, tucked inside clothing or hidden in their houses to protect them from bad luck.
Some of the usual good luck omens include horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, piebald horses, coins found heads up, numbers like seven, ladybugs, and the unexplainable tradition of actors telling one another to "break a leg" just before going on stage.
All of which proves they don't have to make sense. They just have to be believed.
Luck, it seems, is a state of mind, a belief that something good will happen.
Unless, of course, it doesn't.
You don't have to be a physicist to conclude that if there is good luck there is also an equal amount of bad luck.
In the old West, aces and eights were considered a dead-man's hand in poker. If a black cat crosses your path, surely something bad is about to happen. Or not.
Lucky charms are just that, charming, if not ridiculous.
Half a chance
And yet we cling to luck like a life raft in the turbulent ocean of life.
Mainly because we need to believe we have half a chance to be successful, whether we deserve it or not.
That you were born in this country to nice people who fed you and educated you and protected you from bad things might be, at best, a statistical miracle.
That you met your soul mate in a library on a rainy afternoon because she was studying and you were looking for shelter could have been a happy happenstance.
That you barely missed being hit by a bus because you stopped to help a little old lady pick up her handkerchief could be considered a chivalrous coincidence.
Life, it seems, is as fickle as a coin toss.
So be careful out there today, look both ways for leprechauns, and may the luck of the Irish be with you. The good luck, that is.
Reach Ken Burger at 937-5598 or follow him on Twitter at @Ken_Burger.
Seven ways to get lucky tonight in the Rocket City
View full sizeThe Huntsville Times/Paul Wallen
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - If your birthday is 7-7-77, you hoard four-leaf clovers and rabbit-foot key chains in your attic and you just happen to spot rainbows every day on your way to work, then this helpful list isn’t for you.
But for the rest of us average Joes who aren’t showered in lucky charms, here are seven ways to get lucky on St. Patrick’s Day. Hey, get your head out of the gutter – we aren’t matchmakers.
1. Throw me something … Mr. Leprechaun?
Officially known as the Ellen McAnelly Memorial St. Patrick’s Day Parade – say that five times fast – this local tradition was founded and sponsored by McAnelly for 32 years. Now in its 34th year, it will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Jefferson and Monroe streets. Hailing as the 2011 Parade Queen is Kayleigh Vinson, a junior at Bob Jones High School, so don’t forget to give her your best pageant wave.
2. “Erin Go Bragh” the night away
Let’s thank an eclectic bunch of visual artists based at Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment, K.I.D. Artist Collective, for this ingenious idea of hosting a pub crawl – it’s quite possible to be the only one of the night – in downtown Huntsvegas. Painting the town green in a vintage bus in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, K.I.D. Artist Collective will depart Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, at 6 p.m. and run to midnight. And the best part about this bunch, it’s only $5 to participate. Beat that, taxi drivers!
3. Get some of Momma’s green love
To continue the winning streak among Alabama’s collegiate institutions in sports, it might be wise to immerse yourself in a little bit of Momma’s love on Whitesburg Drive today. Momma Goldberg’s Deli will be serving delicious and savory Reuben sandwiches with, of course, green brew.
4. Guinness, shamrocks and cabbage, oh my!
After 33 years of hosting the Rocket City’s all-encompassing St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Finnegan’s Pub at 3310 S. Memorial Parkway continues the tradition with an impressive set-up today. Since the Irish-themed festivities have grown tremendously, Finnegan’s Pub will have tents outside where they will be selling Guinness and green beer. They will offer a full bar plus corned beef, cabbage and Irish stew, too. To top off the night, the band Bourbon and Shamrocks will play Irish folk and pub songs.
5. Kiss me, am I Irish?
Legendary Barbara Jean the Drag Queen will add a special twist to her Thursday team trivia and karaoke night with a St. Patrick’s Day theme at Partners Bar and Grill on Meridian Street. The fun includes, but is not limited to, prize giveaways, special events like a frozen T-shirt contest and interesting drink specials like the Irish car bomb, green brew and Guinness. So, let the games begin!
6. Sample a brew with the HYP crowd
Are you young at heart and hip? If you answered yes, then the annual beer tasting by Huntsville Young Professionals at Crossroads is the place for you tonight. From 4 to 8 p.m., HYP will partake in festivities by featuring Huntsville’s “hop stars,” Straight to Ale, Yellowhammer and Blue Pants breweries with the addition of fellow craft brews by Sweetwater and Magic Hat. The price of the beer tasting is $15 at the door and includes two drink tickets. But don’t panic. After 8 p.m., feel free to stay at Crossroads until it closes.
7. Going green
Leave it up to Pleasures, the One-Stop Romance Shop on University Drive, to give the catchphrase “going green” an entirely new meaning. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., visit the Pleasure Patrol Team to exchange your unmentionable’s batteries for a solar-powered bullet. Not only are you properly recycling your batteries, but you’re becoming less dependent on harmful alkaline materials.
Shamrock: Four Leaf Clover - Wager Run News
Shamrock: Four Leaf Clover
Today, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and the day that the shamrock gets a lot of attention or at least the four leaf clover. By definition according to answers.com a shamrock is: “Any of several plants, such as a clover or wood sorrel, having compound leaves with three small leaflets, considered the national emblem of Ireland.” A four leaf clover is considerably rare but some people seem to have luck finding them.
A true four leaf clover usually has leaf number four a little bit smaller than the other three leaves. Each of the leaves of these clovers have a meaning:
- Faith
- Hope
- Love
- Luck
As you notice the fourth leaf is luck and that is why only four leaf clover are lucky.
There are even websites online where you can buy genuine clovers. Some of the ones that you find are not the true shamrock that you are looking for. The real deal comes from the white clover plant aka trifolium repens. You may find others such as the Pepperwort, Water Clvoer or Oxalis that also produce four leaves but they are not the original shamrock.
Who would have known there was so much to learn about the shamrock?
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Four Leaf Clover Apps - Product Reviews
Many people have different superstitions, whether it’s a rabbit’s foot, walking under a ladder or a four leaf clover. With technology today you can have a four leaf clover always at your side thanks to some fun mobile applications.
Lucky Hunt will bring back memories of childhood as you searched through the grass trying to find those four leaf clovers. This fun little game has users searching for the clover’s before the time runs out. If you manage to find the elusive four leaf clover more plants will grow to make it harder to find next time. This is available on the App Store for $0.99/0.59.
Cloverload is a similar game where you have to search through a field searching for four leaf clovers, but you gather them all up and collect them to increase your luck. This is available free on the App Store.
LuckyClover is a fun game for all ages to enjoy which will really test your hand eye coordination. Players have to quickly find and pick the four leaf clovers which are amongst a changing clover patch. The game starts off easy but gets more difficult as you progress. You can find this on the App Store for $0.99/£0.59.
St. Patrick's Day Celebrated Accross the World
The London Eye Shrouded in Green Light on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2011 (Getty Images)
What connects the four leaf Clover, corned beef and cabbage, Guinness, and the catholic church? Add March 17th to the celebration and you get St. Patrick's day.
It started hundreds of years ago as a religious holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick's day has now become a huge celebration of Irish culture. The holiday is also celebrated in Great Britain, the US, Australia and New Zealand, thanks to Irish immigrants who spread the tradition.
Green clothes are the day's fashion, symbolizing the green shamrock- Ireland’s national's symbol. According to the legend, the shamrock was used by St Patrick to teach the Irish people about the holy trinity of mother, son and the holy spirit. He is considered by the church till this day, to the patron Saint of Ireland.
The traditions took the three leaf clover or Shamrock a step further to a 4 leaf clover – a very rear find. The 3 leaves stand for faith hope and love and the fourth leaf stands for luck.
Not much of the religious day's character remains in modern times considering the massive consumption of alcohol on St Patrick's day –especially Guinness. It goes together with the Irish blessing Slainte (good health in Irish), Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever), special Irish sayings such as "May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight," "May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past," and more.
Colorful parades are held in many counties around the world, one of the biggest is held in New York City –and attracts around 150,000 people every year. Monuments across the world are also lit green to mark the occasion, including the Empire State Building in NYC and the London eye in the UK Capital.
