International Picnic Day
International Picnic Day is held on June 18. This event in the second decade of the month June is annual. Help us
Originally, a picnic was a fashionable social event to which each guest contributed some food. The French started the modern fashion for picnics when they opened their royal parks to the public after the revolution of 1789. The word ‘picnic’ originally stems back to 1794, exactly 100 years after ‘pique-nique’ first appeared in the French language. 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.
The actual origins of International Picnic Day are unknown, but it is widely recognised as an informal eating festival that serves as a getaway from formalities. “Enjoy the great outdoors under a tree, atop a blanket, munching on sandwiches during International Picnic Day (June 18)…” — Soler, Eileen (2003).
Similar holidays and events, festivals and interesting facts
National Tailgating Day in US on September 7 (The 1st Saturday in September);
Sustainable Gastronomy Day on June 18 (The UN General Assembly adopted on 21 December 2016 its resolution A/RES/71/246 and designated 18 June as an international observance, Sustainable Gastronomy Day);
International Panic Day on June 18 (Don't worry. Don't fret. and, above all, don't panic);
World Sickle Cell Day on June 19 (International);
World Sauntering Day on June 19 (The holiday was created in 1979 by W.T. Rabe in response to the growing popularity of jogging. It is believed to have begun at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan, USA. The Grand Hotel has the world's longest porch at 660 feet. The idea behind the day was to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them);
Garfield The Cat Day on June 19 (Garfield was famously created by cartoonist Jim Davis and appeared in a cartoon strip on 19th June 1978)