Feast of the 7 Fishes

Whether you’re of Italian descent or simply love seafood, these ideas will help you host an unforgettable Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Italians love to be with family and even moreso, love to eat good Italian food. Holidays are perfect times to show your family how much they are loved as you create a feast that will knock their socks off.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as Festa dei Sette Pesci or La Vigilia, is celebrated on December 24. This Christmas Eve celebration kicks off the holiday festivities with a huge dinner consisting of seven courses of fish and seafood.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes tradition stems from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat the day prior to religious holidays, which currently is typically reserved for Fridays during Lent. In earlier days, Italians refrained from meat and celebrated Christmas Eve by pulling out all the stops and incorporating fish into a large meal. Over time, this overthe-top meal turned into a custom that many Italian-American families look forward to each Christmas Eve. Below are some ideas to impress and satisfy your guests.

Appetizers

- Shrimp Cocktail (don’t forget the cocktail sauce and horseradish for some heat) - Clams Casino - Clams on the half shell - Fried Smelts - Stuffed Quahogs

A cool, fresh salad is the perfect way to break up a multi-course meal. Calamari and snail salad are very traditional dishes for this celebration. Along with the shrimp cocktail, clams casino, and fried smelts, I order these salads from my favorite local seafood store and always have plenty of tabasco sauce and lemons on hand to add some zest to these dishes.

The feast continues with flavorful seafood pasta. Some sure-to-please options are linguine with clams in a white sauce, or for a dish that is much richer, my family loves linguine with lobster in a pink vodka sauce. I always make both to ensure all of my guests are satisfied.