ORIGIN OF PICNIC

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2681, 10 January 1924, Page 4

ORIGIN OF PICNIC

Australian and New Zealand peo- I pie are the most picnic-loving people in the world. It is little to be I wondered at when cerulean skies, warm sun, golden beaches, and I frothing surf combine and issue urgent invitations to come out of doors. It would be a churlish peo- I pie who could resist such an alluring quartette. A 1 fresco meals are so ordinary an occurrence here that picnics are almost an impromptu ar- | rangement. In the old countries, where climatic conditions are rather adverse than conductive to outdoor feasting, preparations for out-door meals are moi’e ceremonious. Taking eatables out of doors was more or less of an important adventure to our forebears.. When an outing was being arranged a list of the eatables required was ceremoniously compiled. Each hostess of the party was presented with a list, and she picked out the article of food she found it most convenient to contribute to the feast. A

nick was put beside, the dish she picked upon. So the list was picked and nicked as it went the round of the x-ingleted and crinolined lad-

ies. Erom this custom of picking and nicking the first two syllables coined a word which is most frequently on the tongues of New Zealand’s youth three-quarters or more of the year.