page_title: Picnic
section_title: Cultural representations of picnics
hierarchical_section_title: Picnic / Cultural representations of picnics
context_page_description: A picnic is a meal taken outdoors as part of an excursion – ideally in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding an open-air theater performance, and usually in summer.
  Picnics are usually meant for the late mornings or midday breakfasts, but could also be held as a luncheonette or a dinner event.
  Descriptions of picnics show that the idea of a meal that was jointly contributed and was enjoyed out-of-doors was essential to a picnic from the early 19th century.
  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. It is also sometimes combined with a cookout, usually a form of barbecue: either grilling, braising, baking, or a combination of all of the above.
  On romantic and family picnics, a picnic basket and a blanket are usually brought along. Outdoor games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics.
caption: A nobleman with his entourage enjoying a picnic. Illustration from a French edition of The Hunting Book of Gaston Phoebus, 15th century
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