Feast of the Seven Fish Christmas Eve Dinner

This Christmas season celebrate the Italian-American tradition of the “Feast of the Seven Fish”, a delicious seven-course seafood only feast served on Christmas Eve. Despite its popularity with Americans, most Italians do not even know about the tradition. So how did this tradition start?

The tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve dates to the long-standing Catholic tradition of the “vigilia”, a day of fasting that ends with a meal that excludes meat and dairy. Catholics reserve Christmas Eve as a vigil, a time of waiting and preparation for the birth of Jesus. Abstaining from meat was a form of penance and sacrifice, which heighten the significance of the celebration to come. Before the main event on Christmas Day, the Birth of the Jesus, Southern Italians would rejoice with a seafood feast they called La Vigilia di Natale or Cena della Vigilia (the Vigil's dinner).

In the early 1900’s newly arrived Italian immigrants celebrate as a way of staying connected to their Italian homeland and heritage. Over the years, the feast evolved where the number of courses – SEVEN – took on a special significance.

The number "seven" is symbolically important to the Catholic faith. In Hebrew the word for "seven" is related to the word for "oath" or "to swear," linking it to the idea of a sacred covenant between God and His people. The number seven is used over 700 times in the Bible. There are seven days of creation, seven sacraments, seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven deadly sins, seven corporal and spiritual works of mercy, seven sorrows and seven joys of Mary, and in Revelations there are seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls of God's judgment. Seven is significant in God’s plan.

And then there are the seven hills of Rome from Italy, which are important to Catholicism primarily as the symbolic and historical heart of the city where the Vatican is located and where the Catholic Church is centered. The “seven mountains” mentioned in the Book of Revelations are interpreted by many Catholics as a symbol for the seven hills of Rome, signifying the city's role as a powerful empire and the "Woman" sitting upon it is often interpreted as the Roman Empire, and sometimes later, the Catholic Church. 

“The Feast of the Seven Fish” is a homage by the Italian-Americans to their ancestorial land of Italy and to their Mother Church in Rome!

Planning a Seven Fish Feast for Christmas Eve:

APPETIZERS

Fried seafood: Crispy fried calamari or smelts.

Seafood salad: An "Insalata di Mare" featuring a mix of cooked seafood, like octopus, shrimp, and calamari, dressed with olive oil and lemon.

Stuffed calamari: Calamari rings stuffed with breadcrumbs, garlic, and herbs.

Baccalà: Salt cod, which can be prepared in various ways, such as fried, in a salad, or with pasta.

Clams: Baked clams, such as clams casino, or clams prepared with garlic and white wine.

Shrimp cocktail: Steamed shrimp, peeled and served with a dipping sauce.

Mussels or scallops: Steamed mussels in a white wine and garlic sauce, or seared scallops.

MAIN COURSES

Pasta: Linguine or spaghetti with seafood sauces, like clam sauce, anchovy sauce, or a spicy seafood sauce (Fra Diavolo). 

Cioppino: A rich seafood stew with a tomato base, often including clams, mussels, shrimp, and fish.

Baked or pan-seared fish: Dishes like baked cod with tomatoes and olives, or pan-seared swordfish.

Whole fish: A whole baked or fried fish can be the centerpiece of the meal.

SIDE DISHES

Fried vegetables: Accompaniments like fried artichokes, squash blossoms, or pickled vegetables.

Salads: Simple green salads or other vegetable-based salads.

Italian Ceramic Fish Platters