Get the Guinness on ice - St Patrick's Day is just around the corner.

For anyone thinking of celebrating or interested in what the Irish holiday is all about, we've put together a handy guide.

Here are five things you might want to know about St Patrick's Day.

1) It's big in the States

It's not just people in Ireland and Britain who celebrate the tradition - it's hugely popular in the States too.

Irish and Irish-American culture is pretty big out there so you probably wouldn't have to travel far in Chicago to find someone dressed in green.

2) When is St Patrick's Day?

The day is always celebrated on March 17.

It's a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

3) What's it all about?

St Patrick was from the fifth century and he was actually Scottish.

Apparently he was kidnapped by Irish raiders when he was 16 and taken to Gaelic Ireland.

There he was used as a slave to tend and herd sheep.

4) How is the holiday celebrated?

If St Patrick's Day is something you've always celebrated then you need no introduction.

But if you're marking it for the first time you can expect plenty of public parades, fireworks, pints of Guinness and dressing up in green.

5) And what is the Shamrock?

It is an old legend that St Patrick once used the three-leaf plant to explain the Holy Trinity.

It might not be true but it's a nice thought nevertheless.