Some Italian cooks are completely unfamiliar with the “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” That’s because, depending on where they grew up, the tradition might go by another name—La Vigilia (The Vigil), or simply, Christmas Eve dinner.
Despite the feast’s popularity, the origin of the number “seven” still remains a bit of a mystery. Some theories hold that it was derived from the seven sacraments. Others attribute the number to the seven cardinal virtues or to the seven days of the week. Today, some families set a different number all together—in some cases an ambitious 12 (possibly for the 12 apostles). In other households, there's less of an emphasis on the number of different types of fish served and more focus on the overall abundance of the meal, which is typically an almost unending feast, not only of seafood but of fried vegetables such as artichokes, potatoes, and squash blossoms.
Ultimately, whether you’re Italian, Italian American, or just a pesce lover, what’s truly important is that seafood is prepared, shared, and enjoyed on Christmas Eve with the people that you care about.
If you want to prepare your own feast of the fishes, the only rule is to skip the meat. Otherwise, anything goes. If you’re feeling ambitious, cook seven courses, or, if not, put lots of seafood into a single dish. There’s so much flexibility and the potential combinations are endless.
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