International Picnic Day 2021: How COVID-19 has made a difference to the fun

International Picnic Day is celebrated on 18 June globally. There’s nothing like a hearty meal and good company amid nature. With this objective of encouraging people to have picnics, the International Picnic Day was conceived. It’s a made-up holiday that is meant to infuse us with new vigour and joy in otherwise humdrum life. Picnics are not just a popular outdoor activity, it has come to be perceived as a lovely ‘emotion’, a fun-filled occasion. Though historically, nothing much is known about the origin of this day, commemorating the International Picnic Day would certainly be a great way to celebrate life, in fact. It is believed that sometime at the end of the French Revolution, and Victorian period this tradition of picnic came into being. The word picnic as per the Cambridge Dictionary, means an occasion when you have an informal meal of sandwiches or food, outside. The word picnic came from the French word pique-nique and was used to describe a bunch of people who brought their own drinks (wine) while they dropped in at a restaurant for dinner. Initially, it was associated with the idea of a meal to which everyone contributed. Basking in the lovely sun with loved ones, relishing a good meal (jointly prepared by members), enjoying a scenic beauty in the lap of lush green nature, in a park by a lake or stream, is ideally how a picnic takes place. It is usually meant for luncheons or dinner. People in the Northern Hemisphere, spend the day outdoors while in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Monday of August is observed in a similar fashion. Speaking of historical facts, the Guinness Book of World Records documented that Lisbon, Portugal held the world’s largest picnic on June 20, 2009. The picnic comprised around 22000 people huge gathering. Significance of International Picnic Day The introduction of International Picnic Day is in fact a lovely reminder for all of us to pause for a while and savour life. With day-to-day hectic life, we tend to get a little mechanical and let stress get the better of us. This is where taking occasional, much-needed breaks in the form of a picnic is absolutely the best thing to do. The word picnic itself rings in so much joy and happiness among people. It’s a wonderful way to spend time with family, friends, relatives, and unwind. Picnic has been known to bring people closer and strengthen familial, and friendship bonds. It is just a wonderful opportunity to be happy and spread cheer. Although currently with the COVID-19 restrictions, outdoor activities are a complete no-no, we can still celebrate the spirit of merriment, fun, that picnic embodies with virtual calls, good food, online games, a hearty laugh, good music with our loved ones.