The Italian Christmas Eve Tradition of the Seven Fish Dinner
Is it truth or myth? Both!
A lot of people have the mistaken idea that the custom of the, “seven fish dinner” is steeped in Italian history and ritual and that the whole practice originated in southern Italy and specifically in Sicily, going back centuries.
First of all, not every Italian or Italian Region celebrated this tradition until recently. In fact, until the late 50’s or early 60’s many families in Italy and Greece as well as Italian-Americans and Greek Americans in the USA were not rich but close to poor; let us say they could afford very little so that they just had, maybe a one or two cheap fish fry-up, for which Mamma saved pennies for a whole year; and that was their Christmas Eve dinner, along with a nice plate of pasta. Most Greeks don’t celebrate Christmas Eve,
It’s pretty clear and acceptable that good Catholics do eat meat on Christmas Eve in celebration of the birth of the Christ, and sometimes, especially in the U. S. had tuna fish mixed in with macaroni and that was their Christmas Eve dinner.
Myth tells us that the custom of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the medieval times, not true! The Catholic tradition of abstinence, in this case refraining from eating meat or milk products on Fridays and specified Holy Days goes back maybe to the late 19th Century. The tradition stipulates that no meat or butter can be consumed, so attentive Catholics would instead eat fish, often fried with other seafood prepared for the Christmas feast.
Lore says that most families always serve seven combinations, these being fried or boiled dried salt cod, fresh (if in Italy, frozen in the USA) or salted anchovies and sardines; octopus, shrimp, smelts, eels, squid, mussels, oysters and clams in sauces over spaghetti and also baked.
Remember that wives, mothers, until the late 60’s did not work, they took care of the kids and house, bless them. Something that, unfortunately, is not possible today. It was the man that was the main wage earner, not that some wives and mothers did not work, but most did not. Therefore, it stands to reason that when you have one wage earner, and in the 50’s and 60’s that averaged from about $75 to $130 a week, and certain type of fish being expensive, even by those past years standards, it’s a little hard to imagine doing so many fish dishes and imagine it started with farmers doing this dinner.
Take a recent statement I read, “…While researching the background of this tradition I was surprised to find out that it is not always simply seven seafood dishes prepared but some feel there must be seven different types of seafood served, while others traditionally serve ten or thirteen fish dishes each Christmas Eve…”
Let’s be serious, at present fish prices:
Salt cod; $ 8.50 a pound
Fresh (if in Italy, frozen in the USA) anchovies and sardines; $ 6.95 a pound
Salted anchovies and sardines; $ 4.50 a pound
Octopus; $7.95 a pound
Shrimp; medium size ay 18-20’s $ 9.99 a pound
Smelts; $ 4.50 a pound
Eels (smoked); $ 12.50 a pound
Eel (fresh); $ 9.90 a pound (if you are lucky)
Squid; $ 8.79 a pound
Mussels; $ 6.50 a pound
Oysters; $12.00 a dozen
Clams (cherrystone); $ 4.95 a dozen
How many people are you having for Christmas Eve dinner – 10 or 12 well if we all get together as a family, and exclude the in-laws, yeah we’re there at a cost of about $ 300. But most Italian-American Christmas Eve gatherings number 20 plus for a conservative cost is about $ 750 plus and that is for fish alone and if we add the remainder like a few vegetable side dishes, and a few tasty desserts.
With the present economic situation, both in the USA and Europe, these types of festive and joyful, but costly holiday gatherings are starting to wither.
The Greeks and Greek-Americans never had this tradition. However, seeing their Italian-American neighbors, some have started to celebrating Christmas Eve, and I can assure you they don’t have the seven fish dinners, although they will probably start one soon, for we are copy-cats
Is it truth or myth? Both!
A lot of people have the mistaken idea that the custom of the, “seven fish dinner” is steeped in Italian history and ritual and that the whole practice originated in southern Italy and specifically in Sicily, going back centuries.
First of all, not every Italian or Italian Region celebrated this tradition until recently. In fact, until the late 50’s or early 60’s many families in Italy and Greece as well as Italian-Americans and Greek Americans in the USA were not rich but close to poor; let us say they could afford very little so that they just had, maybe a one or two cheap fish fry-up, for which Mamma saved pennies for a whole year; and that was their Christmas Eve dinner, along with a nice plate of pasta. Most Greeks don’t celebrate Christmas Eve,
It’s pretty clear and acceptable that good Catholics do eat meat on Christmas Eve in celebration of the birth of the Christ, and sometimes, especially in the U. S. had tuna fish mixed in with macaroni and that was their Christmas Eve dinner.
Myth tells us that the custom of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the medieval times, not true! The Catholic tradition of abstinence, in this case refraining from eating meat or milk products on Fridays and specified Holy Days goes back maybe to the late 19th Century. The tradition stipulates that no meat or butter can be consumed, so attentive Catholics would instead eat fish, often fried with other seafood prepared for the Christmas feast.
Lore says that most families always serve seven combinations, these being fried or boiled dried salt cod, fresh (if in Italy, frozen in the USA) or salted anchovies and sardines; octopus, shrimp, smelts, eels, squid, mussels, oysters and clams in sauces over spaghetti and also baked.
Remember that wives, mothers, until the late 60’s did not work, they took care of the kids and house, bless them. Something that, unfortunately, is not possible today. It was the man that was the main wage earner, not that some wives and mothers did not work, but most did not. Therefore, it stands to reason that when you have one wage earner, and in the 50’s and 60’s that averaged from about $75 to $130 a week, and certain type of fish being expensive, even by those past years standards, it’s a little hard to imagine doing so many fish dishes and imagine it started with farmers doing this dinner.
Take a recent statement I read, “…While researching the background of this tradition I was surprised to find out that it is not always simply seven seafood dishes prepared but some feel there must be seven different types of seafood served, while others traditionally serve ten or thirteen fish dishes each Christmas Eve…”
Let’s be serious, at present fish prices:
Salt cod; $ 8.50 a pound
Fresh (if in Italy, frozen in the USA) anchovies and sardines; $ 6.95 a pound
Salted anchovies and sardines; $ 4.50 a pound
Octopus; $7.95 a pound
Shrimp; medium size ay 18-20’s $ 9.99 a pound
Smelts; $ 4.50 a pound
Eels (smoked); $ 12.50 a pound
Eel (fresh); $ 9.90 a pound (if you are lucky)
Squid; $ 8.79 a pound
Mussels; $ 6.50 a pound
Oysters; $12.00 a dozen
Clams (cherrystone); $ 4.95 a dozen
How many people are you having for Christmas Eve dinner – 10 or 12 well if we all get together as a family, and exclude the in-laws, yeah we’re there at a cost of about $ 300. But most Italian-American Christmas Eve gatherings number 20 plus for a conservative cost is about $ 750 plus and that is for fish alone and if we add the remainder like a few vegetable side dishes, and a few tasty desserts.
With the present economic situation, both in the USA and Europe, these types of festive and joyful, but costly holiday gatherings are starting to wither.
The Greeks and Greek-Americans never had this tradition. However, seeing their Italian-American neighbors, some have started to celebrating Christmas Eve, and I can assure you they don’t have the seven fish dinners, although they will probably start one soon, for we are copy-cats
