I wish I had my niece Lily today because as I was preparing my post to share Food Holidays: June 18th, 2022 I found out it was International Picnic Day. Which Lily has been asking me to take her on a Picnic to the Park I used to live close to. But her parents haven’t let Lily come over in a while. Instead I think Charlie and I will have our own Picnic in our Apartment sitting outside at the picnic tables they have out for us. Would you like to join us?
It’s often claimed that life is no picnic. Although today it is because it’s International Picnic Day which is a chance to eat out in the open air with family.
Placed conveniently in the middle of June, for many people this means the Weather should be fine and the Sun shining at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Even if the Weather doesn’t want to cooperate, an inside picnic can be fun. Just spread a blanket on the floor and enjoy a meal!
History of International Picnic Day
The word “picnic” probably gets its origins from the French language, specifically from the word “pique-nique”. It is believed that this type of informal outdoor meal became a popular pastime in France after the French Revolution in the mid-1800s when it was possible again to get out into the Country’s Royal Parks. However, even if it began in France, it has become a lovely activity that has spread all over the world.
As fans of Jane Austen novels will know, 19th-Century picnics in England became elaborate social occasions, with menus featuring a wide range of cold Meats and Pies that took days to prepare.
Over the years, picnics have sometimes come to represent the gathering of the common people in political protest. One of the more famous of these was the Pan-European Picnic that took place in the Summer of 1989 at the border of Austria and Hungary. Pan-European Picnic was part of many protests against Communism that year that led to the fall of the Iron Curtain.
More recently, in 2009, the Guinness Book of World Records made note of the record for the largest picnic in the world which took place with more than 20,000 people in Lisbon, Portugal.
Today’s picnics might be a bit more casual, sometimes just a few pieces of Bread and Cheese thrown into a paper bag and eaten on a park bench will suffice. A picnic can be centered around just about anything the participants want it to be, including games.
International Picnic Day is celebrated in many Countries which is a simple opportunity to enjoy the beauty of eating outside!
How to Celebrate International Picnic Day
Join a Picnic Day Event
Charity events, school picnics are organized to celebrate the holiday. Check with a community board or website to see if any picnics are planned locally. Look particularly at local parks or Museums. If they are having one join in. If not–go ahead and organize it!
Have a Personal Picnic for Lunch or Dinner
A great way to celebrate International Picnic Day is to bike,=or hike to a nearby beauty spot, and bring Sandwiches and into the Garden and enjoy an al fresco lunch. Those who are at work for the day can just take their normal lunch hour to head out to a patch of grass’
Other ideas for piling foods into a picnic basket include:
Perhaps the perfect picnic food, is Sandwiches which make everything easy. Meat, Cheese, and Vegetables on a couple of pieces of Bread. Add a few condiments, including Mustard or Mayonnaise.
Fruit. Fruits come with their own natural packaging, making Fruits the ideal food for a picnic. Grab Apples, Oranges, or Watermelon.
For Side Dishes make Salads, Potato Chips, or a Veggie Tray.
Five Facts about Picnics:
- Did you know Ole Evinrude had the idea for the outboard motor while rowing a boat to a Picnic.
- Italy’s favorite picnic day is Easter Monday which is called “Angel’s Monday” or Pasquetta meaning “Little Easter”.
- After an Ant has visited your picnic, the Ant lays down a scent as it returns to the nest for Ants to follow!
- In the year 2000, a 600-mile-long picnic took place in France to celebrate the first Bastille Day of the new millennium.
- The first table designed specifically for picnics appeared in the late 1800s.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
