Picnicking was common in France after the French Revolution, when it became possible for ordinary people to visit and mingle in the country's royal parks. In 18th and 19th centuries, picnics were elaborate social events with complex meals and fancy drinks that sometimes took days to prepare . A false etymology once claimed that the term picnic referred to "picking" a Black person to lynch. 
The French Revolution popularized the picnic across the world. French aristocrats fled to other Western countries, bringing their picnicking traditions with them. After the Revolution, French people of all classes visited and mingled in the country's royal parks. Picnicking transformed from an upper class luxury to a cheap way to spend an afternoon with friends . Black American communities have long believed there to be a link between the word picnic and lynching parties. This false etymology claims that the term picnic referred to "picking" a Black person to lynch. Scholars argue that this myth persists due to a hint of truth; white Americans frequently ate and picnicked at lynchings. The rise of picnicking and lynchings were intertwined, down to their shared vocabulary. Some white Americans referred to lynchings as "barbecues."
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Picnicking was common in France after the French Revolution, when it became possible for ordinary people to visit and mingle
The French Revolution popularized the picnic across the world. French aristocrats fled to other Western countries, bringing their picnicking traditions with them. After the Revolution, French people of all classes visited and mingled
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In 18th and 19th centuries, picnics were elaborate social events with complex meals and fancy drinks that sometimes took days to prepare
Picnicking transformed from an upper class luxury to a cheap way to spend an afternoon with friends
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A false etymology once claimed
Black American communities have long believed there to be a link between the word picnic and lynching parties. This false etymology claims
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Scholars argue that this myth persists due to a hint of truth; white Americans frequently ate and picnicked at lynchings. The rise of picnicking and lynchings were intertwined, down to their shared vocabulary. Some white Americans referred to lynchings as "barbecues."