What is "La famille"?

March 25, 2009 6:37 AM

Question for Montrealers! In the past few years I have noticed that some stores display a sticker on their front door that features a tree and roots and (sometimes) the words "La famille". It has a white field and the tree is cartoon-ey, green and brown. The caption is written in some kind of cursive font.

What TF is this? It tends to be on some dep entrances but it's on some restaurants and other businesses as well. I've seen it mostly in the Plateau/Mile End and Outremont - but that is most likely selection bias.

Is it some kind of crypto-catholic thing? Does it mean "Catholics, what few of you are left in Quebec, can feel good shopping here?" Or something completely different?

posted by mikel to grab bag (3 comments total)

I've been wondering this for awhile. I found this by the McGill Daily, but I'm still interested in why stores are putting the sticker on their window.
posted by OLechat at 6:48 AM on March 25 [2 favorites]

Sounds like it may be a Eat Local/Slow Food/Locally Owned Business movement?
posted by so_ at 7:33 AM on March 25 [1 favorite]

The Famille Danielson are some cool musicians although I doubt that they are the answer to this riddle. Some hipsters refer to them as "la famille".

I'm a bit puzzled why you conjecture that this is a crypto-Catholic thing but I don't know anything about Canadian culture beyond that Quebec has a lot of churches so at some point in history French Canadians must have been very religious, if they aren't today. Phrases like crypto-Catholic make me think of British history!
posted by christhelongtimelurker at 11:51 AM on March 25