Leif Erikson Day

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 08, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--Leif Erikson Day

Over 1,000 years ago, the lure of discovery led Leif Erikson -- a son of Iceland and grandson of Norway -- and his crew on an ambitious exploration of present-day Greenland and Canada. Centuries later, after a months-long ocean voyage, a group of Norwegians landed in New York City on October 9, 1825, the first large group of immigrants to arrive in the United States from Norway. To commemorate that event and pay tribute to our rich Nordic-American heritage, we celebrate Leif Erikson Day in honor of the first European known to set foot on North American soil more than a millennium ago.

To read the full proclamation...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/08/presidential-proclamation-leif-erikson-day

1) Have you heard about this day before?
2) Why is this holiday not celebrated in schools?