Instead of the two turtle doves or the partridge and pear tree of the traditional 12 Days of Christmas, The University of Alabama Office of Health Promotion and Wellness promotes exercise, nutrition and emotional strength of the participants of their 12 Days of Wellness.

The program includes 12 days of activities for University faculty and staff that encourage wellness and alleviate the stress of the holiday season. Participants are given a calendar of events and asked to complete at least twelve of the activities. Upon completion, participants will be entered in a drawing for a free massage.

These events kicked off on Saturday, Dec. 1. The office offered participating UA faculty and staff a Snowflakes Saturday and Elf Workshop at Tuscaloosa Children’s Hands on Museum and a $30 Saturday in the Park: Ornaments from Nature class at the Moundville Archeological Park.

On the second day of wellness, participants met at Moody Concert Hall for a showing of the Christmas musical production Hilaritas and later visited Tuscaloosa’s Christmas Open House at Gorgas House.

On the third, fourth and fifth days of wellness, participants will attend the West Alabama Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade, the outdoor ice skating rink on Jack Warner Parkway, a yoga class and downtown Northport’s Dickens Downtown event.

“This is not a program to encourage people to do more but instead step back and renew our spirit,” said Rebecca Kelly, director of the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness.

The sixth and seventh days of wellness include a Toys for Tots Holiday Acoustic Night, an exhibit at Canterbury Church Gallery and Bama Theatre’s presentation of A Christmas Carol.

On the eighth day, the office promises participants a Candyland Breakfast with Santa and the Snowflake Saturday and Elf Workshop at the Tuscaloosa Children’s Hands on Museum. Later that day, the program gives the opportunity to run in the Crimson Christmas 5K.

On the ninth and tenth day, the office will invite participants to watch the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Christmas Around the World and an encore presentation of A Christmas Carol. Later, participants will be invited to take part in the city’s Home for the Holidays event. They will also distribute WellBAMA reward cards, which are $25 Visa cards awarded for participation in health events. Employees can earn up to $200 in rewards cards based on their health status or involvement in health screenings.

The office will provide a WellBAMA health screening on the eleventh day in the Russell Hall lobby from 7:30 to 11 a.m., a free Art With Friends event at the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art and Pooches on the Porch at Innisfree Irish Pub later that evening.

Finally, on the twelfth day of wellness, the program will conclude with a free yoga class at the Aquatic Center, a luncheon with the team captain of the American Heart Association and a free horse-drawn carriage ride in Midtown Village.

Alicia Whites, coordinator for the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, said participants in the 12 Days of Wellness are asked to attend these events in order to accomplish three goals.

“The 12 Days of Wellness is a program to encourage three goals: reflect, relax and renew,” Whites said.