Transporting everyone back to Saturday mornings with cold bowls of sugary cereals in their laps, October 9th is official Leif Eriksson Day. Remember Spongebob with his luscious red beard jumping out of bed, screaming "It's Leaf Eriksson Day! Hinga, dinga, durgen!" I don't know about anyone, but that was my catch phrase for at least two years.
Square jokes aside, October 9th, 1000 was the day Leif Eriksson sailed upon "Vinland". He set out with 34 other men to find the mysterious wooded land a previous sailor had told him about. The men found the land, stayed the winter, built huts, and began to love the mild climate. The mystery of the story is the location of Vinland; some say in was northern Newfoundland, while others are saying Cape Cod. However, permanent settlement never took place due to probable conflict with the natives of the isolated, unknown territory.
This event resembles an incredible expedition by these Nordic men. It was the first known expedition bringing European men to set foot on North America. Forget Christopher Columbus. Erik the Red and his son were the real explorers of the day. To the world, this occurrence bears little significance due to Columbus stealing the limelight. However, we must all take time out to recognize these incredible Norse explorers who sailed to extremely cold climates with little intention of pillage or plunder. They simply wanted to explore a new place where they could freely practice their cultural traditions without being threatened.
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