The Lucky Irish
Top o' the Maornin' to ya, me fellows! And a glourious day it t'is, by far! I've just had me Great Recliner here at the Center O' the Universe re-upholstered in Kelly Green, with a great Golden Shamrock embroidered on the back (real gold none the less!) and trimmed in navy blue. T'is a sight to see, I tell ya!
Today's little monoblogue shall venture into that realm of Luck, and how the Irish have benefited from it for so long. All of us have our own views on Luck, our own Lucky Numbers, Lucky Colors, etc. We have Lucky Trinkets of one form or another, from rabbit's feet to horseshoes, crosses to underwear. What-have-you. When Luck is talked about in a conversation, we all feel a tug of the Emerald Isle in the back of our minds. In some sense, we all think that the very root of all Luck in this world is buried deep in the Heart of Ireland. Hell, I know it is! St.Patrick told me so just the other day!
The Encyclopedia Universalis defines Luck as: Circumstances of life brought by chance, be they beneficial or not.
The Irish form of Luck, to be Lucky, is defined as follows: Good fortune resulting from good luck distinct from skill, merit, or design.
One of the most recognized forms of Irish Luck in the Great United States today comes in the form of Lucky Charms and its spokesman, Lucky the Leprechaun. Lucky has been pitching the fantastic cereal since 1963 and his motto "Frosted Lucky Charms, They're Magically Delicious!" is loved by generations of kids the country over. The original four Charms were Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, and Green Clovers. Now, not to be critical of the most famous Leprechaun in the world, but let us examine these original choices. I understand the Clover as a Lucky Charm. Wishing upon a Star, I can see that. Moons and Hearts? I don't see the Luck in those, I'm sorry, Lucky. Now, over the years, he has added to and taken away from his line-up of Charms. In 1975, Blue Diamonds were added. In 1984, Purple Horseshoes were added. Then in 1989, Red balloons came along. Of these three additions in, only the Horseshoes really had anything to do with Luck, or Ireland, at all as far as I could tell. In 1992, Rainbows were added. Now, I hope this had nothing to do with any sort of "Rainbow coalition" or "Gay Pride" thing. With the Pot O' Gold added in 1994, these two teamed up to form the basis of finding the Leprechaun's stash of wealth. Okay, I got that one. They ditched the Diamonds in favor of changing the Moons to Blue, which had been dropped earlier. In 1996, the Shamrocks were changed to Green Leprechaun Hats, and in 1998, the Shooting Stars replaced the plain Stars. Of the current line-up, the Horseshoe, the Hat, the Pot, the Rainbow, the Star, the Moon, the Heart, and the Balloon, I still have no idea what the last three have to do with Luck, or Ireland.
I do have a few suggestions for replacements. The Celtic Cross is a natural, as Ireland is the homeland of this emblem. The Harp, found on the battle flags of ancient Ireland. An Emerald, embodiment of the land's nick-name of Emerald Isle. A Pint of Beer, as seen in the hands of all during joyous conversation. A Policeman's Badge, emblematic of the job so much of Irish-America's roots are embedded. And what of the Number 7? How many people think of this as their personal Lucky Number? The number 7 seems to have taken on a life of its own when it comes to being Lucky. After all, the dice game of Craps is based on this number and the odds of it coming up at any time. The again, there are those pesky 7 Deadly Sins. Not so Lucky there after all.
Finding a four-leaf clover is considered Lucky, as is spotting a shooting star. Having a squirrel cross your path is Good Luck. Carrying a rabbit's foot and knocking on wood are considered Luck bringers. I don't know about any of these superstitions. How many times has a race car with #7 on it lost the race? You'd think it would win every time out if 7 was Lucky, right? And rabbits get eaten by foxes all the time. Not so Lucky there. And I've seen squirrel road-kill, so would that be bad-luck?
Luck is what we make of our good fortune, in hind-sight. We can never predict Luck, or see it coming, otherwise it would not be Luck. The Leprechaun's of Ireland are the sole holders of the power of Luck, be it for Good or Bad, and dish it out haphazardly as they may. God gave them this ability long ago to preserve their way of life, deep within the heart of the Emerald Isle. Every so often a few like to get out and cause a wee bit o' mischief about the world, just to keep us on our toes. God gets a laugh at their antics and our mortal responses to the illogical, unpredictable things that happened, and how far we'll go to satisfy ourselves that Luck had nothing to do with it what-so-ever! Blarney!
Well, me old sods and colleens, the band's striking up and the tap's flowing at the "Emerald Harp". Time has come for the Center O' the Universe to be signing off. Slainte!
Today's little monoblogue shall venture into that realm of Luck, and how the Irish have benefited from it for so long. All of us have our own views on Luck, our own Lucky Numbers, Lucky Colors, etc. We have Lucky Trinkets of one form or another, from rabbit's feet to horseshoes, crosses to underwear. What-have-you. When Luck is talked about in a conversation, we all feel a tug of the Emerald Isle in the back of our minds. In some sense, we all think that the very root of all Luck in this world is buried deep in the Heart of Ireland. Hell, I know it is! St.Patrick told me so just the other day!
The Encyclopedia Universalis defines Luck as: Circumstances of life brought by chance, be they beneficial or not.
The Irish form of Luck, to be Lucky, is defined as follows: Good fortune resulting from good luck distinct from skill, merit, or design.
One of the most recognized forms of Irish Luck in the Great United States today comes in the form of Lucky Charms and its spokesman, Lucky the Leprechaun. Lucky has been pitching the fantastic cereal since 1963 and his motto "Frosted Lucky Charms, They're Magically Delicious!" is loved by generations of kids the country over. The original four Charms were Pink Hearts, Yellow Moons, Orange Stars, and Green Clovers. Now, not to be critical of the most famous Leprechaun in the world, but let us examine these original choices. I understand the Clover as a Lucky Charm. Wishing upon a Star, I can see that. Moons and Hearts? I don't see the Luck in those, I'm sorry, Lucky. Now, over the years, he has added to and taken away from his line-up of Charms. In 1975, Blue Diamonds were added. In 1984, Purple Horseshoes were added. Then in 1989, Red balloons came along. Of these three additions in, only the Horseshoes really had anything to do with Luck, or Ireland, at all as far as I could tell. In 1992, Rainbows were added. Now, I hope this had nothing to do with any sort of "Rainbow coalition" or "Gay Pride" thing. With the Pot O' Gold added in 1994, these two teamed up to form the basis of finding the Leprechaun's stash of wealth. Okay, I got that one. They ditched the Diamonds in favor of changing the Moons to Blue, which had been dropped earlier. In 1996, the Shamrocks were changed to Green Leprechaun Hats, and in 1998, the Shooting Stars replaced the plain Stars. Of the current line-up, the Horseshoe, the Hat, the Pot, the Rainbow, the Star, the Moon, the Heart, and the Balloon, I still have no idea what the last three have to do with Luck, or Ireland.
I do have a few suggestions for replacements. The Celtic Cross is a natural, as Ireland is the homeland of this emblem. The Harp, found on the battle flags of ancient Ireland. An Emerald, embodiment of the land's nick-name of Emerald Isle. A Pint of Beer, as seen in the hands of all during joyous conversation. A Policeman's Badge, emblematic of the job so much of Irish-America's roots are embedded. And what of the Number 7? How many people think of this as their personal Lucky Number? The number 7 seems to have taken on a life of its own when it comes to being Lucky. After all, the dice game of Craps is based on this number and the odds of it coming up at any time. The again, there are those pesky 7 Deadly Sins. Not so Lucky there after all.
Finding a four-leaf clover is considered Lucky, as is spotting a shooting star. Having a squirrel cross your path is Good Luck. Carrying a rabbit's foot and knocking on wood are considered Luck bringers. I don't know about any of these superstitions. How many times has a race car with #7 on it lost the race? You'd think it would win every time out if 7 was Lucky, right? And rabbits get eaten by foxes all the time. Not so Lucky there. And I've seen squirrel road-kill, so would that be bad-luck?
Luck is what we make of our good fortune, in hind-sight. We can never predict Luck, or see it coming, otherwise it would not be Luck. The Leprechaun's of Ireland are the sole holders of the power of Luck, be it for Good or Bad, and dish it out haphazardly as they may. God gave them this ability long ago to preserve their way of life, deep within the heart of the Emerald Isle. Every so often a few like to get out and cause a wee bit o' mischief about the world, just to keep us on our toes. God gets a laugh at their antics and our mortal responses to the illogical, unpredictable things that happened, and how far we'll go to satisfy ourselves that Luck had nothing to do with it what-so-ever! Blarney!
Well, me old sods and colleens, the band's striking up and the tap's flowing at the "Emerald Harp". Time has come for the Center O' the Universe to be signing off. Slainte!
posted by B.R.Dailey | 1:55 PM
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