Picnics are great. They are good for your health -- all that vitamin D you get from being outdoors -- fantastic for the mood, delicious for your belly. Here are five little known facts about them.
The word picnic comes from French
The word picnic was first seen in English in 1748 but the French had pique-niques (pick nothing) since at least 1694.
….And the French popularized it too
The French first introduced the modern idea of picnics when they opened their royal parks to the French public after the revolution in 1789.
But before that, picnics already existed, and were truly elaborate affairs
In the Middle Ages, picnics were an extravagant outdoor activity, organised for groups of royal hunters. They eventually shifted into simple meals anyone could pack in a bag and enjoy in the sunshine.
London had its own Picnic Society
A fashionable group of Londoners started a Picnic Society in the early 19th century. Their members were expected to share entertainment and refreshments.
The longest picnic table measures 407.27 m (1,336 ft 2 in)
And was achieved by the City of Memphis with the support of Memphis in May International Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, on 25 May 2019.