It’s St. Patty’s Day. I think today’s Google AdSense themed ads, displaying subtle background images of shamrocks, accents this blog’s green theme quite nicely. Almost makes me want to keep them year-round, regardless of whether or not they’ll boost clickthrus.

And speaking of shamrocks and Saint Patrick, there’s an interesting legend about how he made instructive use of their shape:

The story was first recorded in 1726 in a book about the wild flowers of Ireland written by an English dissenting (protestant) cleric, Dr Caleb Threlkeld, who recorded that

This Plant [white clover] is worn by the People in their Hats upon the 17. Day of March yearly (which is called St. Patrick’s Day.) it being a Current Tradition, that by this Three Leafed Grass, he emblematically set forth to them the Mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Which brings up an interesting point: If the common three-leafed clover symbolizes the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, then what does the sought-after four-leafed sprout symbolize? And why should such a blatant departure from Christian symbolism be considered lucky? Theologicially speaking, it should be a shunned pagan offshoot.

So, you heard it here first: If you wear a four-leafed shamrock today, you’re probably going to Hell. Who’s lucky now, hmm?