Leif Erikson Day

Leif Erikson Day

Leif Erikson Day is an annual observance that occurs on October 9. It honors the Norse explorer who led the first Europeans thought to have set foot in continental North America. The federal government of the United States observes the holiday. Bills have been introduced in the Parliament of Canada to observe the day.

About Leif Erikson Day in brief

Summary Leif Erikson DayLeif Erikson Day is an annual observance that occurs on October 9. It honors the Norse explorer who led the first Europeans thought to have set foot in continental North America. The federal government of the United States observes the holiday and some U.S. states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day. Bills have been introduced in the Parliament of Canada to observe the day.

The day is also celebrated in Iceland and in some communities in the Upper Midwest and other places where large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled. The date was chosen because the ship Restauration coming from Stavanger, Norway, arrived in New York Harbor on October9, 1825.