It's holiday season! The leaves are turning colors and piling up on our lawns, the air is getting crisp, and depending where you live, you might even be seeing some snowflakes! This is the cozy time of year when we celebrate many traditions, from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Hanukkah to the New Year. For the next couple months we can look forward to turkey dinners, stuffed stockings, the smell of pine trees, and all the other traditions big and small that make this time of year so wonderful. But here at Tesa Babe, we think that the best kinds of traditions are the ones we make with our family and loved ones. 

To that end, we've created a list of unique traditions you can start with your family this Thanksgiving.

1. Write down what you're thankful for. Have everyone write down on a piece of paper what they're most thankful for, and then have everyone read it out loud during dinner. You can even turn it into a game. Put all the notes anonymously into a jar and have everyone pull them out randomly and read them out loud one by one. Then everyone can guess who wrote it! They say that expressing gratitude is the key to happiness, so why not practice it during a time of thankfulness? 

1. Learn about the origins of Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, do some learning as a family about the pilgrims and the Native Americans and the first meal they shared together. To bring this tradition closer to home, research the native tribes in your area and learn about their traditions. 

1. Make it artsy. Start a tradition of crafting your very own Thanksgiving decorations. Maybe it's as simple as painting a turkey out of the shape of your kids' hands, or maybe you design special placemats or make homemade candles. You can add to the collection each year and then look back at all the things you made together as a family as your kids grew up.

1. Start the day with dessert. As we all know, it's a tricky balance between starving yourself until dinner is ready, and losing your turkey dinner appetite with breakfast or lunch. Make it easy (and fun) on yourselves by eating pie for breakfast! One sugary treat in the morning is a fun way to see yourself through to dinner without filling up.

1. Donate. Make it a tradition to donate food to the local food shelter on Thanksgiving. Or, ask your guests to bring over canned goods so that you and your family can bring it to the food shelter later. Thanksgiving is about gratitude, but it is also about giving. 

1. Volunteer. Volunteering is another great way to teach your kids the joy of giving.

1. Be adventurous. Each year, try a new recipe. This is a fun way to be adventurous in the kitchen and to add new flavors to Thanksgiving dinner. Get your kids involved by asking them to choose the new recipe.

1. Do a game night or a scavenger hunt. True, Thanksgiving is all about the turkey and the stuffing, but there's a whole day free to do fun things! Start a tradition of bonding over a board game or a scavenger hunt. 

We'd love to hear about the unique traditions you and your family practice on Thanksgiving! Tell us your favorite ones in the comment section below.