Australia Day Picnic, 1908

Friends and family gather for a picnic in a public park in Columbus, Ohio, c. Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. 1950

In contemporary usage, picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or En plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event, and usually in Summer. For the coarsely ground flour see Flour. A meal is an instance of Eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air" and is particularly used to describe the act of Painting outdoors Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting Summer is one of the four Temperate Seasons Summer marks the warmest time of year with the longest days

Picnics are often family-oriented but can also be an intimate occasion between two people, or a large get-together such as company picnics and church picnics.

On romantic and family picnics a picnic basket and a blanket (to sit or recline on) are usually brought along. A picnic basket is a Basket intended to hold Food and Tableware for a Picnic meal Outdoor games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics. A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people

Formerly, picnic meant a potluck, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table for all to share. A potluck is a gathering of people where each person is expected to bring a dish of food to be shared among the group A recipe is a set of instructions that show how to prepare or make something especially a culinary dish. The food eaten is rarely hot, instead taking the form of sandwiches, finger food, fresh fruit, salad, cold meats and accompanied by chilled wine or champagne or soft drinks. A sandwich is a food item made of two or more slices of Bread with one or more layers of a filling Finger food is Food eaten with the Hands in contrast to food eaten with a Knife and Fork, Chopsticks, or other utensils The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. Salad is a mixture of cold foods usually including vegetables and/or fruits often with a dressing occasionally nuts or Croutons, and sometimes with the addition of Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or

Hunt Picnic by François Lemoyne, 1723 (Museu de Arte de São Paulo)

Etymology

The first usage of the word is traced to the 1692 edition of Origines de la Langue Française de Ménage—which mentions 'pique-nique' as being of recent origin; it marks the first appearance of the word in print. François Lemoyne or François Le Moine (1688 – 4 June 1737) was a French Rococo painter The term was used to describe a group of people dining in a restaurant who brought their own wine. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice For long a picnic retained the connotation of a meal to which everyone contributed something. Whether picnic is actually based on the verb piquer which means 'pick' or 'peck' with the rhyming nique meaning "thing of little importance" is doubted; the Oxford English Dictionary says it is of unknown provenance. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English

The word picnic first appeared in English texts in 1748 (OED), and may have entered the English language from this French word or from the German Picknick, which may simply be a parallel borrowing from French. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The practice of an elegant meal eaten out-of-doors, rather than a harvester worker's dinner in the harvest field, was connected with respite from hunting from the Middle Ages; the excuse for the pleasurable outing of 1723 in Lemoyne's painting (illustration, left) is still offered in the context of a hunt.

In the late 1990s an e-mail hoax spread around the internet claiming that the word "picnic" was actually derived from racist term for a lynching. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 E-mail spoofing is a term used to describe fraudulent e-mail activity in which the sender address and other parts of the e-mail header are altered to appear as though the e-mail originated The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks This claim had no basis in fact. See: Snopes.com urban legends reference page

Usage

A typical picnic setup on the ground with picnic basket and red plaid sheet. A picnic basket is a Basket intended to hold Food and Tableware for a Picnic meal

• In British and American English, the phrase "no picnic" is used to describe a difficult or trying situation or activity. For example, "Driving in rush hour traffic is no picnic. Rush hour at Shinjuku 02JPG|thumb|right|250px|Rush hour at Shinjuku Station, Yamanote Line]] A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which "
• In established public parks, a picnic area generally includes picnic tables and possibly other items related to eating outdoors, such as built-in grills, water faucets, garbage containers, and restrooms. A picnic table (or sometimes a picnic bench) is a modified table with benches expressly for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors ( Picnicking. There are multiple varieties of grills, with most falling into one of two categories Gas - Fueled and Charcoal. Tap water ( running water) is part of indoor Plumbing, which became available in the late 19th century and common in the mid-20th century See also Toilet A washroom, public toilet, public convenience, comfort room, toilet room, bathroom, water closet

Related historical events

After the French Revolution in 1789, royal parks became open to the public for the first time. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Picnicking in the parks became a popular activity amongst the newly enfranchised citizens. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally

A picnic in front of the Orangerie Kassel, Germany, c. Kassel (until 1926 officially Cassel) is a city situated along the Fulda River in northern Hessen, Germany, one of the two sources of the 2003

Early in the 19th century, a fashionable group of Londoners formed the 'Picnic Society'. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Members met in the Pantheon on Oxford Street. The Pantheon, was a place of public entertainment on the south side of Oxford Street, London, England. Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England in the City of Westminster. Each member was expected to provide a share of the entertainment and of the refreshments with no one particular host. Interest in the society waned in the 1850s as the founders died. Events and Trends Industry Production of Steel revolutionized by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman

The image of picnics as a peaceful social activity can be utilised for political protest too. In this context, a picnic functions as a temporary occupation of significant public territory. A famous example of this is the Pan-European Picnic held on both sides of the Hungarian / Austrian border on the 19 August 1989 as part of the struggle towards German reunification. The Pan-European Picnic was a peace demonstration held on the Austrian Hungarian border near the town of Sopron on 19 August 1989. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany

In the year 2000, a 600-mile-long picnic took place from coast to coast in France to celebrate the first Bastille Day of the new Millennium. Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In the United States, likewise, the 4th of July celebration of American independence is a popular day for a picnic. The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then In Italy the favourite picnic day is 'Angel's Monday', also known as Pasquetta (= 'little easter'), the day after Easter. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year.

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (Manet, 1862)

Cultural representations of picnics

Perhaps the most famous depiction of a picnic is Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, painted by Edouard Manet in 1862. Le déjeuner sur l'herbe ( The Lunch on the Grass in French originally titled Le Bain ( The Bath) is an Oil on canvas painting by Le déjeuner sur l'herbe ( The Lunch on the Grass in French originally titled Le Bain ( The Bath) is an Oil on canvas painting by

In literature

• From Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood: ". Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final Novel by Charles Dickens. . . Miss Twinkleton (in her amateur state of existence) has contributed herself and a veal pie to a picnic. " (Project Gutenberg Entry: [1])
• In Jane Austen's novel Emma at the Box Hill picnic which turned out to be a sore disappointment, Frank Churchill said to Emma: "Our companions are excessively stupid. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Jane Austen (16 EMMA - the Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy (Awards - was founded in 1997 by Bobby Syed. Box Hill is a well known beauty spot in the North Downs of Surrey, England, close to the southern outskirts of London, overlooking Dorking to What shall we do to rouse them? Any nonsense will serve. . . " (Project Gutenberg Entry: [2])
• In Fernando Arrabal's Picnic in the Field the young and inexperienced soldier Zepo is visited unexpectedly by his devoted parents. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works Fernando Arrabal Terán (born August 11, 1932 in Melilla, Spain) is a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, Despite the war setting they have a cheerful picnic together.
• The utopian novel Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, which was written in 1972, was the source for the film Stalker (1979) by Andrei Tarkovsky. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the Roadside Picnic ( Russian: Пикник на обочине pʲikˈnʲik na oˈbotɕɪnʲe is a Science fiction Short novel written in The two brothers Arkady (Арка́дий; August 28, 1925 &ndash October 12, 1991) and Boris (Бори́с; born Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (Андре́й Арсе́ньевич Тарко́вский (April 4 1932 - December 29 1986 was a Soviet Film director, writer and opera director The novel is about a mysterious "zone" filled with strange and often deadly extraterrestrial artifacts, which are theorized by some scientists to be the refuse from an alien "picnic" on Earth. See also List of extraterrestrials in fiction In Popular cultures Life forms -especially intelligent life forms that are of extraterrestrial EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001
• No Picnic on Mount Kenya, by Felice Benuzzi recounts the attempt of three Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War to reach the top of Mount Kenya. No Picnic on Mount Kenya The Story of Three POWs' Escape to Adventure, by Felice Benuzzi recounts the attempt of three Italian prisoners of war

In film

• The film Picnic, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by William Inge, was a multiple Oscar winner from 1955. Picnic is a 1955 Cinemascope film in Technicolor which tells the story of an ex-college football star turned drifter who arrives in a small Kansas town The Pulitzer Prize, ˈpʊlɨtsɚ PULL-it-sər is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in Newspaper journalism, William Motter Inge (ˈɪndʒ "inj" –) was an American playwright and novelist whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Since then the film has been remade twice, once in 1986 and again in 2000, but neither version received much acclaim.
• With Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Peter Weir constructs a film of haunting mystery. Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian Mystery Film directed by Peter Weir, adapted from the novel of the same name. Peter Lindsay Weir AM (born 21 August 1944 is an Australian Film director. Three girls and one of their teachers on a school outing mysteriously disappear. The only one that is later found remembers almost nothing.
• Baji on the Beach, Gurinder Chada (1993). The German version of the film is titled Picknick on the Beach. Nine Indian women of various ages flee away from their everyday life into a joint excursion to the English resort town of Blackpool. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. A rather unharmonious journey because conflicts between generations raise emotions to a fever pitch.
• Blissfully Yours, a film with a picnic in a jungle. Blissfully Yours ( Thai: สุดเสน่หา or Sud sanaeha) is a 2002 Thai Romance film directed by
• Picnickers are used to illustrate the scale of one metre in the film Powers of Ten. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Powers of Ten is a 1977 short Documentary film written and directed by Ray Eames and her husband Charles Eames.
• The Office Picnic (1973) is a dark comedy set in an Australian Public Service office. It was written and produced by film maker Tom Cowan, who is now famous for his work on the series Survivor. Thomas "Tom" Cowan (born August 28, 1969 in Bellshill, Scotland) is a Scottish footballer who played as a

In music

• In 1906 the British composer John William Bratton wrote a musical piece originally titled "The Teddy Bear Two Step". Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. It became popular in a 1908 instrumental version renamed "Teddy Bears Picnic", performed by the Arthur Pryor Band. The Teddy Bears' Picnic is a song written by John Walter Bratton in (1907 with lyrics added in 1932 by prolific songwriter Jimmy Kennedy, and is still a popular Arthur Willard Pryor ( September 22, 1870 &ndash June 18, 1942) was a Trombone virtuoso, Bandleader The song regained prominence in 1932 when the Irish lyricist Jimmy Kennedy added words and it was recorded by the then popular Henry Hall (and his BBC Dance Orchestra) featuring Val Rosing (Gilbert Russell) as lead vocalist, which went on to sell a million copies. Henry Hall may refer to In politics and government: Henry Hall 4th Viscount Gage (1791–1877 British peer Henry C The Teddy Bears' Picnic resurfaced again in the late 1940s and early 1950s when it was used as the theme song for the Big Jon and Sparkie children's radio show. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive This perennial favorite has appeared on many children's recordings ever since, as well as being the theme song for the AHL's Hershey Bears hockey club. American Hockey Association (1926–1942The American Hockey League (AHL is a Professional Ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary The Hershey Bears are a professional Ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. lyrics and audio from the BBC
• "Stone Soul Picnic", by Laura Nyro (released in 1968) It was a major hit for the group Fifth Dimension. Laura Nyro (born Laura Nigro) ( October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American Composer, Lyricist Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Fifth Dimension, also known as The 5th Dimension, is an American Popular music Vocal group, whose repertoire also includes pop cover version by Swing Out Sister
• "Malcolm's X-Ray Picnic" was a moderate hit for the indie-pop group Number One Cup.

In art

• "Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe" (1865-1866), often referred to as "The Picnic" or "The Luncheon on the Grass" in English, was one the earliest works of Manet. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual

External links

• BBC Food Picnic Guide
• Urban Legends: Language (Picnic)
• Picnic Recipes, Games and Ideas