How to Celebrate Leif Erikson Day
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared that October 9 was Leif Erikson Day, in recognition of the Norse explorer who discovered North America nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Even though Leif Erikson Day isn't an official holiday, it is still a great opportunity for a party. Home schooling families and elementary teachers can turn Leif Erikson Day into a fun party that teaches history and geography.
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Instructions
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Leif Erikson Day Decorations
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Hold the party outside, if possible, where there is plenty of room to run and shout. After all, you are pretending to be wild Viking sailors.
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Line up several long tables for one long banquet table. Cover it with burlap cloth or other homespun fabric. Throw some faux fur pelts over the table and backs of chairs for some really rustic Viking decor.
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3
Decorate the table and party area with boughs of freshly cut twigs and evergreen branches.
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4
Use tiki torches and candles as lighting if the celebration is going to run into the evening hours.
Leif Erikson Day Entertainment
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Ask guests to dress in their finest Viking duds. Think horned helmets, braided hair and faux fur pelts fastened to their clothes. Cardboard swords covered in tin foil are the finishing touch.
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Play old fashion games, such as foot races, three-legged races and rock throwing (who can throw the farthest, not throw them at one another).
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Read a couple of books about Leif Erikson, such as "Leif the Lucky" by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire or "The Discovery of the Americas" by Betsy and Guilio Maestro.
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Serve up a hearty Viking feast of roasted meats, potatoes, lutefisk (fish), lefse (flatbread) and some traditional Scandinavian desserts like krumkaker (cookies).
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure the tiki torches and candles are kept away from anything flammable and out of reach of any small children who may be running about.
