Pumpkin pies, Santa ships, family gatherings, office parties. The holiday season sometimes can seem as if it’s all about the familiar.

But every now and then a new event comes along that evolves into a winter time tradition. And Wolf Hollow’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” – decorative, interactive and, perhaps best of all, a fundraiser for a worthy cause – would appear to be just such an occasion.

Here’s how it works.

Beginning in conjunction with the annual tree lighting ceremony at Friday Harbor’s Memorial Park, Friday, Dec. 2, a dozen local businesses and civic groups will each host a decorative, lighted display depicting one of the Twelve Days of Christmas, as described and enumerated in that ol’ famous English Christmas carol of the same name.

For example, the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce will kick off the event, numerically speaking, with its presentation of… “and a partridge in a pear tree.” The chamber will unveil its display as part of the festivities slated for the town’s tree lighting celebration. The Twelve Days of Christmas will culminate, again numerically, that is, on the north end of San Juan Island, where Roche Harbor Resort will offer up its portrayal of “twelve drummers drumming.”

The Chamber and Roche Harbor will act as the bookends for the other 10 businesses taking part in this first-ever island fundraising event. And all will have displays of their own to share. Sure, five gold rings might be a breeze, but what about 10 lords-a-leaping?

So how does one find the others? Well, that’s part of the fun too. The location of all the displays are listed on a map that will be available at the chamber office, 135 Spring Street, as well as at each participating business.

But wait, there’s more.

On those maps is a list of questions about each display (and about Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center) that can be easily answered by dropping by to view all 12. After answering all the questions, you can drop off that questionnaire at the chamber office or at Roche Harbor as your entry for a prize drawing.

So make time to get out and enjoy the Twelve Days of Christmas from a whole new perspective this holiday season. It promises to be a fun way for the family to celebrate the holidays, while supporting local businesses and Wolf Hollow as well.

Who knows, you might even win a prize.

For more info: visit Wolf Hollow at http://wolfhollowwildlife.org, call 378-5000, or the Chamber of Commerce at http://www.sanjuanisland.org, 378-5240.