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Celebrate Leif Erikson Day
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Leif Erikson statue near Minnesota state capitol.
Most people know that Columbus Day will be celebrated on Monday, October 12, but did you know that Friday, October 9 is Leif Erikson Day in the United States? Well, since we honor Columbus, it's perhaps only right that we also recognize in some way the actual first European to set foot in North America. Although it's not an official holiday, the occasion is typically marked by a presidential proclamation and with events in some areas, especially in the Upper Midwestern states such as Minnesota where there is a strong Nordic heritage.
The date October 9 does not have any special significance to Erikson's voyage to the Americas, but rather was chosen because it was the day in 1825 when the first organized group of Norwegian emigrants arrived in the U.S. Leif Erikson Day has been held since 1964, when Congress authorized an annual observance.
Of course, if you really want to honor Erikson's 11th century journey to North America from Greenland, perhaps the best place to visit is the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site in Newfoundland and Labrador. There, the excavated remains of 1,000-year-old wooden buildings provide evidence of Viking explorations of North America. Hundreds of Viking artifacts have been unearthed and are believed to be the remains of a short-lived settlement that Erikson founded. L'Anse aux Meadows is one of 15 World Heritage Sites in Canada.
You might also enjoy reading about these lesser known celebrations:
Photo credit: Mulad via Wikimedia Commons.
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