LEIF ERIKSON DAY: 2026 OCT 9TH

 

Leif Erikson was the first shipmaster to land in America, more precisely in Newfoundland, Canada. It was around year 1021. He is celebrated on Friday 9th of October. Actually nobody knows the exact day he showed on the North of America... The date was chosen for the organized Nordic immigrants, on board of the ship Restauration, were landing in NYC: it was on Oct. 9th, 1825.

So, it was more than seven centuries later that started the immigration of Northern European origins who settled in the USA. However, in percentage of the total population, they were very few¹.

Back to Leif, now: actually the Vikings did not settled definitely. They founded a settlement ar L'Ance aux Meadows in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland.

In fact, the Viking didn't settle in North America but they founded families. And the families returned to Scandinavia. Below is the photos of the statues of:

Thorsfinn Karlsefni,

 Gudrid & their son Snorri born in America

respectively in Boston,MA and Iceland

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 The following song is about Scandinavian emigrants in America:

The Swede from North Dakota

 The lyrics are in Scandihoovian², a dialect used in some scandinsvian emigrant families. There is no dance choreographied on this song.

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 Here's amodern song and dance related to Scandinavian immigrants:

VALHALLA BELIEVER

👢👢📋: Russell Breslauer

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⭐️Notes⭐️

¹ Approximately between 3% and 4% of the total population have Scandinavian ascendant. Among them, Marylin Monroe, by recognition — her declared father's name was Mortensen — although post mortem DNA tests did not prove he was the natural father.

North Dakota is the state with the most important Scandinavian families, followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

² Lyrics:

THE SWEDE FROM NORTH DAKOTA

I bane a Swede from Nort' Dakota
Work on a farmstead 'bout two yare
Tank I go to Minnesota
Go to Mi nneapolis to see great fair.

Walkin' 'round the stetreet in Saint Paul
Ain't seen no feller anywhere
So I yump on streetcar to Minneapolis
Bet your life lots Swede men there.

I buy me a suit, I buy me a bottle
Dress me up way out of sight,
Yunp on the tail of a Yim Hill wagon
Yesus Christ! I feel for fight!

I go down to Seven Corners,
Where Salvation Army play,
One dem vomans come to me
This is what dat voman say:

She say, "Will you work for Yesus?"
I say, "How much Yesus pay?"
She say, "Yesus don't pay nothing"
I say, "I won't work today."

So I go back to North Dakota
Get a yob on farm somewhere,
And I say to all Swede fellers
Dey can go to hell with de big State Fair.