The Seven Fishes Italian Christmas Eve Dinner
 

.....................

Yes, we still have the Seven Fish Dinner on Christmas Eve. Fortunately for me my son and his wife now carry on with this tradition. It has been modified a bit. We begin with shrimp cocktail, fried calamari, crab cake, baked clams and a fish salad that includes scungilli, shrimp, calamari and other fish as our appetizer. In the past I would make spaghetti with clam sauce as a second dish. My daughter in law now makes Bouillabaisse which includes mussels and a few other types of fish depending on what may be fresh at the market. We then proceed to have fried sole with vegetables. As you can see the Seven Fish dinner sometimes is more than seven but we have always taken that number as a minimum.
This is followed by assorted pastries and Juniors Cheesecake. Thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year.

Wow, what a feast!!
What is the tradition behind the 7 Fishes? Is it a Bible thing?

No. It was a fast day, the day before Christmas and no meat was allowed. I know it is just the term..fast. When indeed it was a feast. A loophole maybe? ;)

.....................

I live in New Jersey where there is a large Italian community. The fish dinner on Christmas Eve seems to still be very popular around here. Many markets sell the special fish before Christmas so people must be buying it. Actually, I had not realized that people had stopped doing this. I guess it depends on how much tradition means to you.

We do not have the bacala anymore, but my grandmother would make it on Christmas Eve in a cold salad with celery and black olives, olive oil and vinegar (if I remember correctly). I have not had that in over 40 years. She also made quite a few fried fish dishes. I think the type of fish served depended on what part of Italy they came from and what they could afford. As a child I do not remember lobster or filet of sole or any of the other more expensive fish.

Growing up, we never had enough money for seven fishes but it was always meatless! Joe's Gramma always made fried smelts as the main fish. Boney little things.
Now, while we are still here in Kennesaw, we go to a great Italian restaurant that does the feast. Fried, salted cod, stuffed squid, seafood salad, baby clams, spaghetti with olive oil and garlic, shrimp and swordfish! I framed them menu!
Got to love tradition!

Chrismas eve at my favorite aunt's and uncle's house with the all fish, (no meat allowed), dinner. Shrimp coctail, baked clams, calamari and other fishes.
Spaghetti with clam sauce was a favorite.

Antipasto, shrimp coctail, dinner, fennel and roasted chestnuts folowed by several type of desserts. Unfortunately, none of the younger family members would continue that tradition. Those were the days. :smiley:

One dish I really loved was menest. Escarole with anchovies and black olives. It used to melt in one mouth. :icon_hungry:

.....................

................

...............

................

Italian Recipe Index - Italiansrus.com


Here are some recipes.....keep scrolling down the list of hyperlinks....