Buon Natale! Whether you say Merry Christmas in English or Italian, you can’t deny that the Italians do Christmas Eve the best with the Feast of the 7 Fishes. And if you enjoy food and can eat a lot of it without feeling sick, this may be the tradition for you.
If you don’t like fish, then you’re not going to like this. But more importantly, if you have any shellfish or other allergy this probably isn’t the ideal tradition for you. Remember, typically the prep work takes hours, and things will be cooking after you arrive. Consider your specific circumstances and how your body reacts. This is the time to be overly cautious. You don’t want to end up in the hospital on Christmas Eve, especially with everything else going on.
Yesterday and Today
The Feast of The Seven Fishes’ history is somewhat of a question mark, even today. Each region in Italy is distinct, so many varieties of traditions, or even meals exist. While I was researching the history, I found it hard to get a widely accepted theory. However, there are a lot of details out there that are considered ‘fact.’
In today’s world, in Italy, Christmas Eve is traditionally a meat-less, and often dairy-less, day. Just like how during Lent Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays. On Christmas Day, that’s when the Italians chow down. They’ll start with an antipasto (more on this later), then a pasta course, followed by the meat course. And obviously dessert.
But, the Italian-Americans ‘traditionally’ do it a bit different. It’s much more over-the-top, in true American fashion. Most sources agree that what my family calls The Feast of The Seven Fishes is primarily an American tradition. While I didn’t know this, it does make sense. And I have to wonder, is this something my family just assumed I knew? Or do they not know? Or do they know but just not care? After all, if Americans are good at one thing, it’s taking a simple thing from another culture, making it over-the-top, and claiming it as the best and only way to do something. (please note the sarcasm here!)
The Number 7
But why 7? If you’re Catholic, or maybe even an English major or reader like me, it’s probably obvious. 7 is seen as a holy number. (Fun fact- the seven is repeated in the bible over 700 times!) There’s 7 sacraments in the Catholic faith, it took 7 days to create the world, and there’s 7 deadly sins.
But, there are some popular alternatives. Some families may only have 2 types of fish, but multiple courses with it prepared in different ways. I’ve seen stories of families doing 9 fishes to represent the trinity times 3, 13 for Jesus and his 12 disciples, or even 11 for the 12 disciples minus Judas. So, there’s lots of ways to celebrate. I personally will continue to stick with 7, mainly because it’s what I know and seems the most popular. But, I’d also like to think that the year we miscounted and popped open a can of tuna and passed it around the table to take a bite meant something.
The Fish Courses
One of the nice things about this tradition is that there really is no right or wrong way to do it. You can have whatever courses you’d like. The only “requirement” is that you eat 7 different types of fish. One fish can be an entire course, like one of my personal favorites, linguine with crab sauce. Or, even a simple side dish can be counted. So if you use anchovies to a side (for flavoring) like broccoli, that counts.
If you’re looking for an option that allows you to incorporate multiple types of fish, I recommend cioppino. This particular recipe has 6 types of fish in it. Other family favorites include shrimp cocktail, clams casino, linguine with clam sauce (homemade only!), shrimp scampi, or crab dip. There’s lots of options out there- get creative! You can also find a bunch of groups on Facebook where people will swap recipes and talk about meals and other traditions.
Also, take your time. Enjoy the food and the company. On Christmas Eve, in my family, dinner will take place over the course of several hours. There are multiple courses, and everyone wants to not only eat everything, but also enjoy it. In order to not feel rushed to move on to the next course, plan for longer time periods between courses.
Does your family celebrate Christmas Eve the Italian way? (or, as I now know, the Italian-American way?) Let me know in the comments below! Until next time, Buon Natale!
What is the best gift you’ve ever received for Christmas? Check out my post and learn about my dog Charlie, as well as my thoughts on giving pets as gifts.
Or, read my post about the book that changed my life.
Christmas isn’t over yet, but the post-Christmas sales are almost here! Learn how and why I’ve already started shopping for Christmas 2021 in my shopping guides Part I and Part II.
love this post, it is great to know about different cultures! Definitely different from what I know as tradition in the UK!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for reading!