Inspired by C.Ann...Calling all Italians!!!

[swea_pea1]

Have any of you ever hosted or participated in the Italian custom of "7 fishes" on Christmas Eve? My Grandmother, a native of Sicily, used to serve this every Christmas Eve. I can't remember the entire menu, but I do remember it included octopus, calamari (squid), shrimp, and sardines.

I have never liked seafood, so as a kid, this was real torture for me!

Maybe good old Nana was just giving us a "fish story" (pun intended!). Has anybody else heard of this?

 

[battricia]

seems to me she wasn't just trying to torture you.


italian traditions


tricia.

 

[sk8belle]

Only 7 fishes? My family always has 13. I was always told it's one for each Apostle.

 

[snoopy]

We celebrate the 7 Fishes every Christmas Eve. Some people do 12 or 13, we do 7.

When we were kids it was always some nasty fish like you've described. The fish always had its head on too. Yuk.

As we got older we changed the rules a bit so now we have things like crab legs, scallops and shrimp, and whatever fish we have we have it filet! Desserts are always plentiful, as is the wine flow, so the 7 Fish Feast on Christmas Eve is very special for my Italian family.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'm not, but Marie is full Italian, and we have usually gone to her mom's or cousins' for Christmas Eve. And yes, lobster, shrimp, calamari, and on and on and on.......... LOTS of food!!!!!

 

[Mishetta]

I don't recall their being a specific number of fish we had to eat on Christmas Eve but I do remember there were only seafood dishes....until midnight that is...then all the sausage & steaks came out, naturally served with pasta with tomato/pesto sauce (like anyone could eat anymore!!) Freshly baked bread too!

Oh...how I love traditions. I need to start following some for my DS's so that they'll have wonderful family memories.

 

[phillybeth]

It has to be an odd number, for good luck, and the more you have the more luck you get. AND no fish can be doubled, so you couldn't have shrimp coctail and shrimp scampi, it wouldn't count. The Italian side of my family does 13, buffet style. It is easier than you think to come up with 13 seafood dishes- tuna fish and fish sticks for the kids, shrimp coctail, linguine with clams, mussels in white sauce, stuffed mushrooms with crabmeat, etc. Heck, even pizza with sardines counts- and we have had that! It's a lot of fun, but I haven't been able to participate since I was 18, the year I developed a seafood allergy. I miss it.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

Yes, we also do the 7 fishes on Christmas Eve. My mouth's watering just thinking about it

 

[aprincessmom]

I host the feast of the fishes since my nana passed away. I love doing it...I'm finalizing the menu now. This year I'm doing 9. I usually stay with 7 or 9 as the base number.

The only fish I've banned from the menu is eel...I just remember growing up and seeing them swimming around in her sink before dinner. UGH!

We start at noon and it runs through the day, into the night. DD and I love having everyone to our house. It's so much fun!

 

[JetMom]

We always do the all fish thing for Christmas Eve as well. I don't remember there ever being a specific number of dishes, though. We have spaghetti with clam sauce, spaghetti with sardines, two or three kinds of shrimp, baccala (a.k.a. "the smelly fish"), and crabs.

I can't wait!

 

[Kimberle]

Well, I'm not Italian, but I'm married to an Italian.

They do the big fish dinner too. It's the one meal *everyone* shows up for during the year!

We have:
Chick pea soup

baccala
Fried shrimp
Fried scallops
Fried Calamari

sometimes lobster

plus homemade calzones
& a few veggie side dishes

Christmas cookie
Italian cheesecake (the one w/ the grains)

IL's used to do the 7. but scalled in back over the years (after their parents passed away).