Traditional Summer Holiday Picnics

The weather is finally getting warmer and it's almost time for summer holidays and picnics. Here in America the beginning of the season is Memorial Day on May 30th, and extends through the summer - all the way to our final summer holiday fling on Labor Day,  this year on September 5th.

The holiday picnics usually  include the red, white and blue color theme - with fresh strawberries, cherries and blueberries used as toppings for cakes (with a flag theme) and colorful tablecloths and napkins. Small flags are used to decorate for the affair, and traditionally the 4th of July has the sparklers and fireworks, but it's not limited to just that one day.

The picnics (whether for holidays, family reunions, or simply a small romantic get-away) include baskets laden with a red/white checkered tablecloth, silverware and dishes (plastic dishes for larger parties and real china for the smaller intimate ones) and condiments. For the adult parties a bottle of wine is included in the package. For everyone a cooler filled with all sorts of drinks is necessary.

Most American picnic food includes baked beans as well as potato and a variety of other salads, hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, and potato chips and other munchables for the kids. For some, ribs and chicken are served instead of (or in addition to) the hot dogs and hamburgers. There are always lots of desserts, and plenty to eat for everyone.

For the more adventurous, a game of touch football, croquet and sack races keep the entertainment going. Use your imagination to keep the kids occupied, but include the adults (who are still kids at heart) to participate in the activities as well. The kids will love it, and it gives everyone a good afternoon laugh. Here is one game everyone can play:

Find the Bacon
  • Divide everyone into teams (depending on how many participate, and the size of the yard you are using you can have more than two teams)
  • Each team gets a strip of fabric (the bacon). 
  • Teams get five minutes to hide the bacon in their section of the yard.
Spies and lookouts, to spot and capture the spies, are established for each team. The object of the game is to get the other team’s bacon (flag) without being captured by the other team. If tagged, the person caught is imprisoned but can be freed by a teammate.

Playing this game at night adds a whole new dimension! You can also vary the game by having Team 1 use the front yard and Team 2 uses the back yard.

 

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