58 Christmas seafood recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the meaning behind the seven fishes? ›

What is the significance of the Feast of the Seven Fishes? There's no real consensus on what the seven fishes signify—some people claim the number seven symbolizes the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church while others say it's meant to represent the seven days of the week or the seven hills of Rome.

Among the different types of fish eaten on Christmas Eve, salted codfish is one of the most popular and versatile. It has always been considered a humble food because of its ease of storage, low cost and the fact that it is filling.

This pasta involves seven fish: clams, mussels, halibut, shrimp, anchovy, calamari and scallops.

A well-known dish is baccalà (salted cod fish). The custom of celebrating with a simple fish such as baccalà reflects customs in what were historically impoverished regions of Southern Italy, as well as seasonal factors.

While many of these symbols are taken from Catholicism and Italian tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is virtually unheard of in Italy and instead is considered an Italian-American tradition.

There is no such thing as the Feast of Seven Fishes on the Roman Catholic calendar. There never has been an official feast with this name in Italy or the United States. In fact, most sources agree that serving fish on Christmas Eve is mainly practiced by Southern Italians, when it's practiced at all.

City Fish Market keeps up with the seasons, making sure home chefs have the freshest fish and shellfish to choose from. December is the peak season for ocean perch, and there is no better month to enjoy cod and monkfish. The yuletide season is also the perfect time for cooking up fresh oysters, clams, and scallops.

More countries eat pork

Pork is the most popular traditional holiday dish in 23 countries, more than the 17 that focus on turkey, she said. Suckling pig is the center of the traditional Christmas table in Spain and Cuba, while the Philippines feasts on roasted pork, according to the map.

Besides the evenings at home, in Sicily people have fun also in the squares and in the streets that, in this period of the year, are enriched by wonderful and elaborated illuminations. In some cities of the island are organized real shows, such as "Lo Zucco" (U Zuccu): Lo Zucco is a huge bonfire on Christmas Eve.

Recipes for the “seven fishes” vary from region to region; this one uses crab, shrimp, calamari, clams, mussels, scallops and white fish.

What seafood is served at Christmas Eve in France? ›

Many families will order a specially prepared platter of mixed seafood for the Réveillon (Christmas Eve) meal. Typical choices might include prawns, clams, lobster, crab and whelks. Scallops are also very popular at Christmas, as are snails (though of course they are not seafood!)

Italian Christmas Eve - Feast of the Seven Fishes

Bring on the sword fish, tuna, salmon, octopus salad, smelts, calamari, spaghetti with clam sauce and the famous Italian classic—salted cod, known as baccalà. The Feast of the Seven Fishes can also include other meatless dishes, which vary by region.

The Wigilia supper

Fish provides the main dish of the Christmas Eve feast across Poland. There are variations of carp fillet, carp in aspic, gefilte fish (Jewish-style carp), sweet with onions, carrots, almonds and raisins. Accompaniments consist of cabbage, cooked red or sauerkraut with apple salad.

Why seven fishes? The Catholic Church celebrates seven sacraments, recognizes seven days of Creation, and seven deadly sins. Hence seven fish. Truth be told, while some cooks follow a rule of serving seven courses of fish.

Fish are symbols of rebirth, fertility, the unconscious or higher self, luck, change, health, and feelings. Fish are also commonly associated with the water element, which signifies stability, balance, and tranquility.

Christmas Eve's Feast of the Seven Fishes is, by Italian Catholic tradition, supposed to be a penitential meal, and it may be, depending on your view of eel, smelt, anchovies and snails.