Monday, March 17, 2008

Lucky Charms

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I hope the luck of the Irish is with you today. Just for fun here is a little info behind the most well-known symbols of luck.

Rabbit's foot: There are several versions of the legend. One derived from African-American folklore syas that the hind foot of a rabbit captured in a cemetery is believed to confer luck when carried.




Rainbow: In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, the rainbow was the symbol of Iris, the messenger of the gods. In Native American culture, a rainbow is seen as a gift from the sun god.




Pot of Gold: The Irish legend says if you catch a leprechaun, he must take you to his treasure at the end of a rainbow. (They are fabled to trick their captors into looking away, then vanishing before reaching the gold.)






Horseshoe: As the story goes, the Catholic figure Saint Dunstan of Canterbury, known for his skill in horseshoeing, held the devil captive until he agreed never to enter a place where a horseshoe was displayed.





Shooting star: An old New Orleans Creole superstition says that shooting stars are souls escaping purgatory, and if you see one and make a wish three times before it disappears, the wish will come true.





Four-leaf clover: Celtic Druids considered this rare type of clover lucky for its finder. According to one legend, the four leaflets have different meanings: hope, faith, love, and luck.


3 comments:

Lani said...

I love this little informative tidbits! Thanks for the lesson in luck.

p.s. Are you Irish?

Holly said...

No I'm not Irish, although I get that a lot because of my red hair. I'm Scottish.

Wendy said...

Hi Holly!
I'm so glad you found me! It's been a long time. Hope you're doing well. Now I have another blog to check on as well! :)
~Wendy