Coastal redwoods and wood sorrel, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California

© Jack Dykinga/Minden Picture

Any with four leaves?. St. Patrick’s Day

Ireland has been called the land of '40 shades of green,' but this green leprechaun's-eye view comes from the feet of California’s giant sequoias. Today we celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who famously never travelled to California. St. Patrick is often depicted holding a shamrock, which he purportedly used to spread Christianity in Ireland by saying the leaves illustrated the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit of the Holy Trinity. Never mind that Celtic druid had revered the sacred shamrock and its three leaves long before Patrick’s arrival. Coins depicting St. Patrick with a shamrock date back as far as 1675.

Whether you find yourself in Dublin, the California coast, or any point in between today, we leave you with a traditional Irish toast: ‘May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.’