Six reasons to wear Shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day or year round.

Stemming from the Irish word for young clover, seamair óg, seamróg, or shamrock as it is more commonly known, is the national flower of Ireland and an iconic global symbol of the Emerald Isle.

Many also associate the plant with Ireland’s patron saint, Patrick. But why do people the world over wear shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day? And where did this association between shamrock, Ireland and St. Patrick come from? Read on for answers.

Shamrock can be spotted on the lapels of coats, painted on faces, as novelty glasses or hats, or of course as pieces of heirloom jewelry the world over on St. Patrick’s Day.

And while each individual will no doubt have their own reason for wearing the shamrock, they will broadly fall into one or more of these six categories:

1. Wear the Shamrock for Ireland

The shamrock is known worldwide as a symbol of Ireland. Wearing a shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day shows support for Ireland as well as Irish culture on our national day each March 17th. For many this is also an expression of pride in Irish heritage.

2. Wear the Shamrock for St. Patrick

For some, especially in Ireland, wearing the shamrock is still very much tied to honoring our patron saint, St. Patrick. Up until the 20th century, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday with not a parade to be seen. Today, many churches and imposing cathedrals like St. Patrick’s own in Dublin, offer special services for the saint as well as the blessing of the shamrock.

3. Wear the Shamrock for Luck

As well as being an international symbol of Ireland, the shamrock and more broadly the clover, are also symbols of luck and good fortune. So many people choose to wear the shamrock to bring a bit of the “luck of the Irish” to their day.

4. Wear the Shamrock for Fun

Here at my Irish Jeweler we are firm believers that everyone's Irish on St. Patrick’s day. We know that many enjoy wearing the shamrock because it adds a touch of fun to festivities. Just like wearing team colors, wearing shamrock shows you are joining in the festivities and are part of the celebration.

5. Wear the Shamrock for its beauty

Perhaps we are biased but the shamrock has a very pleasing symmetry, with a striking three leafed structure. And we are not the only ones to think so. Similar trefoil plants can be seen on the head of Osiris in ancient Egyptian artifacts, on the three leaved wand of Hermes, in Ancient Greece, and adorning ancient Persian crowns. So it is not just the Celts that appreciated trefoil plants. We think the shamrock makes for particularly handsome jewelry.

6. Wear the Shamrock for Tradition

For many, in Ireland at least, wearing the shamrock on St. Patrick’s day is such a long held tradition that it is just the done thing. Parents and grandparents and great-grandparents before wore shamrock, so you do too!

The origins of the Shamrock Tradition

It is difficult to pinpoint the origins of this tradition, when shamrock was elevated above common young clover to become an important symbol in Ireland. But we know it certainly has roots, pardon the pun, in Celtic culture.

Shamrock as a symbol of the Celts

We know that the Celts held the number 3 in high regard. Druids, Celtic high priests, and priestesses would have used three-leaved clover or shamrock as an emblem of the spring equinox, which falls around March 20th in Ireland.

Shamrock as a symbol of St. Patrick

The story goes that the canny St. Patrick, who came to Ireland in the 5th Century to convert the pagan Celts, used the shamrock as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. By tapping into a symbol that was familiar to his would-be converts, he made his job a bit easier. With his success and Ireland becoming a predominantly Christian country, this plant became a symbol of the saint himself. The rest, as they say, is history.

Shamrock as a symbol of Ireland

There is a record from 1571 of people eating shamrock, with a later entry in 1737 saying it was done to make them speedy and of nimble strength! But this may have been a case of something being lost in translation. The Irish name for young clover, seamróg, is very similar to that for wood sorrel, seamsóg, something Irish people would have eaten. There is no mention of eating clover in any Irish record.

The shamrock appears on Irish coins in 1675 with St Patrick's Coppers or Half pennies. But it is 1681, when we get the first record of people wearing shamrock to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, and it is not a very flattering one! The view at the time was that only the vulgar wore the shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day! Today it is worn by the President of Ireland and millions worldwide, so thankfully, that particular negative association is gone!

And just like the color green, Shamrocks were also popularized and celebrated in traditional Irish music with songs like ​​”The Shamrock Shore” ensuring this symbol was widely known in Ireland and farther afield.

Shamrock has now surpassed the saint and his day, becoming a symbol of Ireland recognized the world over. Adorning the badges of our national sports teams, and flying on the tail of our national airline, the Shamrock is now an Irish icon in its own right, synonymous with Ireland.

Will you wear Shamrock?

Are you convinced? Will you be sporting the Shamrock this St. Patrick's Day or any other day for that matter? Let us know in the comments below.

And of course if you would like a piece of our fine Shamrock Jewelry to treasure this Irish symbol on St. Patrick's day and year round, we would be delighted to help.