The Little Book of St Patrick's Day

Potted history, quirky facts, sayings, hints and tips about Ireland's celebration and the saint it commemorates.

The Little Book of St Patrick's Day will tell the story of St Patrick and how the holiday began, share the craic with a collection of sayings and describe how the festival is marked around the world (and in outer space).

Separate the myths from the facts, find out how to celebrate at home and be dazzled by quirky facts and stats. Why is the shamrock the symbol of the day, did St Patrick really drive snakes out of Ireland and what should you eat and drink on March 17th?

Find out in this pocket-sized guide to this Irish celebration that has enchanted people of all backgrounds across the globe.

'For the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth o' March!'
The Irish-American poet Thomas Augustine Daly, as seen on Bustle.com

On St Patrick's Day 2011, the Irish-American astronaut Catherine Coleman played a 100-year-old flute belonging to the Irish band The Chieftains, while floating weightless in the space station. Her performance was later included in a track called The Chieftains in Orbit.