The Delta Kappa Gamma Alpha Upsilon Chapter held its annual Christmas dinner meeting at the First United Methodist Church Dec. 2.

Serving as co-hostesses were Gayle McAlister, Louise Hester, Joyce Strickland, Debbie Beason, and Patricia Cox. Gail Brown was a welcomed guest.

The Inspirational Thought and Invocation were given by Cheri McCain.

A Moment of Remembrance of our beloved DKG sister, Nelda Moss, was presented by Barbara Cain. Nelda Moss served as DKG Alpha Upsilon president from 2000-2002. She will be missed by many.

Members participated in the Moment of Society Orientation by reminiscing on past DKG chapter Christmas dinners and programs.

The program title was International Christmas Holiday Traditions. Finland, known as home to Santa and Christmas Land, which is a big tourist theme park where they say Father Christmas lives, was highlighted.

Christmas in Finland can be memorable for visitors because Finnish traditions have some similarities with neighboring Scandinavian countries. The first Sunday in December – also called the First Advent – starts the Finnish Christmas season.

Traditions on Christmas Eve in Finland include going to a Christmas mass and visiting a Finnish sauna. Many Finnish families also visit cemeteries to remember lost loved ones. They often have a porridge for lunch with a hidden almond in it, and the person who gets the almond has to sing a song and is considered the luckiest person at the table.

Christmas dinner is served between 5-7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad and other foods common in the Nordic countries.

Christmas in Finland does not officially end until 13 days after Christmas Day, which makes the holiday time truly a season, unlike our single-day celebration.

Members participated in a silent auction to raise money for the DKG International World Fellowship Scholarship program. These scholarships are presented to women recipients from many countries who are seeking master’s degrees or doctorate degrees and plan to return to their countries to make a difference in our world.