The official start of summer is a few days away - and there’s lots to celebrate. Father’s Day, Juneteenth, July 4 – and not just any July 4. It is our 250th birthday! – our semiquincentennial.
They deserve a celebration, and since, in 1952, The American Bakers’ Association established July as National Picnic Month, let’s start celebrating early, picnic style.
The term picnic may derive from a 1649 French burlesque satire about the main character, Pique-Nique, and a complex story about food shortages and lavish meals enjoyed at other people’s expense.
It’s not clear if that’s true, but by 1694, a ‘pique-nique’ had become an extravagant dinner where each guest contributed a share.
During the 18th century, picnics were enjoyed by the wealthy, and mostly indoors, with singing, dancing and gambling. The popular picnic dish then was the Scotch egg – a fried-sausage-wrapped boiled egg.
American industrialization and the growth of cities in the late 18th, early 19th centuries moved the picnic outside to embrace countryside healthy living. It was also the introduction of the wicker “pic-a-nic” basket at the 1851 World's Fair in London, and the first picnic table in 1903 in New York.
Who remembers the picnic basket with plastic plates and cutlery strapped inside?
Many countries use a picnic to mark an occasion, such as the Japanese tradition of picnicking during the cherry blossom festival and many cultures still follow the tradition of picnicking next to headstones to celebrate their dead loved ones.
The modern picnic, with our food in a cooler, came in the late 50s and 60s with car tourism, and by the 70s and 80s, marketers took hold of the picnic. Example: in 1977, Kentucky Fried Chicken created a picnic pack that came with fried chicken for up to six, salad, rolls, plates, forks, napkins, and a tablecloth for $7.50.
According to social media, picnics are still very much a thing. There’s pop-up luxury picnics, companies bringing back the “company picnic,” and casual, low-cost picnics.
So, what’s on your picnic menu?
You know that cold fried chicken is the classic picnic food, right? Colonel Sanders thought about that.
I do love a good sandwich, and kids seem to love pinwheels and anything on skewers. Deviled eggs and watermelon are required. There is never enough salads - grain, potato, or pasta – and cookies and brownies are good. Key lime bars are better.
Charcuterie boards, tinned fish, and frozen grapes are popular and fun. There’s gourmet picnic businesses that are booming, with hot noodles, braised meats, and ice-cold martinis showing up in thermoses for sunsets on the beach.
BTW - The world's largest picnic by attendance was set in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 20, 2009, with 22,232 participants.
Whether you’re celebrating one of the many upcoming holidays – Dad’s Day, Juneteenth, our 250th - or just a warm summer day - consider having a picnic.
It doesn’t matter what you eat, or serve, you can’t go wrong.
Happy picnicking!
