Feast of the Seven Fishes – Christmas Eve

Feast of the Seven Fishes – Christmas Eve

While food surrounds many traditions in our house, no other holiday is more important than Christmas Eve.  In Italy, this is traditionally a day where you did not eat meat.  This was also the most important holiday of the year where we would gather with family and friends and eat fish until we sprouted gills.  This meal always starts with meatless Antipasta followed by pasta, fish and the first taste of the Christmas cookies which were being prepared for the last month.  Now tradition states that you make either 3 different types of fish to represent the trinity, 7 for the 7 sacraments, or 12 for the 12 apostles.  My mother always made everyone's favorite fish and then some, easily reaching 12.  This meal helps us understand the importance of family and friends and is always followed, several hours later by midnight mass.

Typical Christmas Eve Dinner


Antipasta

        Marinated vegetables

Marinated roasted red peppers

Marinated mushrooms

Marinated artichoke hearts

Eggplant Caponata

Olives

Black olives

Green olives

Kalamata olives

Fresh mozzarella

Fresh smoked mozzarella

Salata ricotta

Imported provolone

Pasta

      Spaghetti with Shrimp

Fish

      Shrimp Cocktail

      Baked Stuffed Clams

      Clam Stuffed Mushrooms

      Crispy Fried Fish

      Stuffed Fillet

Dessert
      Pignoli Cookies

      Biscotti

As you can see by the volume of the food, it takes several hours and a lot of conversation are needed to eat this much.  That, however, is why it is so much fun.  This is a meal that your friends will talk about for years and your family will look forward to each year.

Over the next few weeks I will share some of my favorite Christmas Eve recipes to inspire you to start a new tradition of your own.