Icon Family Tree

If you haven't created your very own "Family Icon" consider doing so with your children or Sunday school classes.  First we printed out the tree design and colored it, then we trimmed and added our icons of the Patron Saints for each member of the family. We cut the icons out of old catalogs and calendars we had. An icon of Christ was centered in the trunk of the tree, as we added the words of Christ in Greek - "I am the true vine + Ye are the branches" below. We had a little too much fun with the glue and glitter, then mounted it on construction paper, with two holes and string at the top. It hangs as a sort of a tapestry in our home. If you'd like, you could also write at the top "God bless the _______ Family."

For us, it has been a joy for our children to learn who they are named after. We have the habit of asking our kids, "Who has the name from Agios Vasilios? Who has the name from Panagia? From Saint Helen, and Saint Stefanos"  (our Family Icon needs an update with the birth of our daughter last year!)

We hope our tree will continue to grow outwards and spiritually upwards!

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