Home Today Is The First Table Designed Specifically For Picnics Appeared In The Late 1800s.

The First Table Designed Specifically For Picnics Appeared In The Late 1800s.

International Picnic Day is a chance to eat out in the open air with friends or family.

  • The word “picnic” comes from the French language, and it’s believed this type of informal outdoor meal became a popular pastime in France after the Revolution.
  • As fans of Jane Austen’s novels will know, 19th-century picnics were elaborate social occasions, with menus featuring a wide range of cold meats and pies that took days to prepare.
  • Some believe it is based on the French verb “piquer” which means to ‘pick’ or ‘peck’, with the rhyming “nique” meaning “thing of little importance”.
  • Ole Evinrude had the idea for the outboard motor while rowing a boat to a picnic.
  • Italy’s favorite picnic day is Easter Monday. It is called “Angel’s Monday” or Pasquetta (“Little Easter”).
  • After an ant has visited your picnic, it lays down a scent as it returns to the nest for the other 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 (in a style similar to what we know today) appeared in the late 1800s.
  • A “picnic” ham is really not a true ham. It is cut from the upper part of the foreleg of a pig – a true ham is cut from the hind leg.
  • After the French Revolution in 1789, royal parks were opened to the public, and picnicking became a popular activity for the newly enfranchised citizens.
  • A fashionable group of Londoners started a Picnic Society in the early 19th century. Their members were expected to share entertainment and refreshments.
  • The concept of a Teddy Bear Picnic probably originated with a version of the 1907 musical called Teddy Bears’ Picnic written by American composer John Walter Bratton.
  • On the theme of those above, it was originally called The Teddy Bear’s Two-Step but was changed to Picnic in 1930 when the lyrics were added in.
  • One of the first accounts of picnicking comes from tales of Robin Hood. Robin, joined by his Merry Men would informally dine on bread, cheese, and beer under the shelter of the trees.
  • William Holden and Kim Novak were the featured actors in the 1955 film Picnic, which was fortunate enough to pick up six Oscar nominations and went on to win two of the six, in the best art direction and best film editing categories.
  • Cherry blossom season announces spring’s arrival in Japan, along with the start of hanami—or cherry blossom viewing picnics—season.
  • While the upper hemisphere mostly dreams of a white Christmas during the snowflake and cold-weather season, Argentineans celebrate the holiday outdoors with Christmas picnics. These holiday events often take place on beaches or at home on patios, complete with roasted or barbecued turkey, pork, or goat.
  • Picnics aren’t just for eating—there are games to be played, too. But Germans take it one step further by disrobing before competition. It’s not unusual for picnic activities like a friendly Frisbee toss, a few kicks of a soccer ball, or a quick swim to be done au natural. Freikorperkultur (Free Body Culture) encourages Germans to venture out and enjoy daily activities sans-clothing, and nudity is considered a cultural norm—even at picnics in public parks.
  • May Day offers Finland the opportunity to celebrate spring’s arrival with friends and family, and it tends to lead to some exceptionally exuberant parties and picnics. May Day celebrations begin on April 30, and by the first official day of May, many picnic-goers are looking for relief from overindulging the night before. Day-of meals are often called “herring lunch,” featuring pickled fish and other salty foods that supposedly cure hangovers, though Finns will wash it all down with a swig of schnapps. Hair of the dog, as they say.
  • “Clean Monday” ushers in the start of Lent in Greece and brings about religious food restrictions. But, the holiday has its own special foods, such as mussels, octopus, and unleavened bread, that are shared at family picnics. Afterwards, families fly large, colorful kites to celebrate the day and mark the beginning of spring.
  • Croquet, soccer, and badminton are common picnic games, but in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, kubb is a regular game. The lawn game is a mix between bowling and chess, where players attempt to knock over wooden blocks called kubbs with wooden batons.

Sources:

Days of the Year

Foodimentary

Mobile-Cuisine

Quality Unearthed

Mental Floss

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