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| tiny mice eating watermelon |
A picnic is an excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air),
ideally taking place in a scenic landscape such as a park, beside a
lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as
before an open-air theatre performance, and usually in summer.
Descriptions of picnics show that the idea of a meal that was jointly
contributed and was enjoyed out-of-doors were 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 (griddling, gridironing, or charbroiling), braising (by combining a charbroil or gridiron grill with a broth-filled pot), baking, or a combination of all of the above.
On romantic and family picnics, a picnic basket
and a blanket (to sit or recline on) are usually brought along. Outdoor
games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics.
In established public parks, a picnic area generally includes picnic tables and possibly other items related to eating outdoors, such as built-in grills, water faucets, garbage containers, and restrooms.
Some picnics are a potluck,
an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common
table for all to share. When the picnic is not also a cookout, the food
eaten is rarely hot, instead taking the form of deli sandwiches, finger food, fresh fruit, salad, cold meats and accompanied by chilled wine or champagne or soft drinks.
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| animated pear with face |
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| disappearing pear, peanut butter sandwich and cookie |
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| smokin' hot dog |
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| funny self-peal bannana |
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| sweet iced tea with orange slice and straw |
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| bouncing basket of strawberries |
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| basket of fruits |
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| picnic brats and sandwiches |
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| belly laugh, strawberry |
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| hot dog, soda, and ketchup |
