Comments on: Sicilian Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve

By: Linda Ellis

Linda Ellis — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 21:36:59 +0000

In reply to Carolyn J Hughes. Oh great to hear Carolyn and cheers to OUR Brooklyn memories! I just took a minute to sit down from all the prep work lol and saw your reply, thanks! And thank you Wellnessmama for another year of great posts! Merry Christmas!

By: Carolyn J Hughes

Carolyn J Hughes — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:33:08 +0000

In reply to Linda Ellis. You brought back wonderful memories from my Brooklyn childhood. Merry Christmas!!!

By: Rachel Winker

Rachel Winker — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 07:03:10 +0000

Will you be posting the scallop and shrimp recipes when they’re ready? They sound amazing!!

By: Kristina

Kristina — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 03:14:29 +0000

Going to try some of your recipes this year! Please post the Bang Bang Shrimp when possible ?? Merry Christmas!

By: Linda Ellis

Linda Ellis — Sun, 27 Dec 2020 13:02:49 +0000

Happy Holidays and thank you for this post!
Growing up in a big Italian family from Brooklyn was so much fun! Especially during the holidays when all the neighbors would have their doors open! No need to call, just come over!
The 7 fish tradition was always celebrated in my house. My Mom would say as long as it’s an uneven number for good luck that’s OK. One year my husband lost his job and we just had shrimp.
To this day, my nephew makes an octopus salad with 4 fish. You make it the day before and eat it cold. Then cooking 3 fish was easy to complete the 7 fish dinner.
Wishing you all the best and cheers to 2021!

By: Brigid

Brigid — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 01:14:16 +0000

We’re Russian Orthodox, so growing up we always did the Holy Supper with 12 dishes, while reading the nativity story from the Gospel of Luke. There’s a candle stuck in a loaf of bread, symbolizing Christ as the Bread of Life and the Light of the World. It feels so special and holy. One or two dishes are always fish, one or two are cabbage-y things, there’s potatoes, and one or two are pierogis. It helps that the symbolic-and-necessary honey, garlic, and salt all count as courses!

We’re celebrating Christmas on the road this year, and I’m just not up to figuring out grain-free potato-free vegan pierogis, so we’ll do a few key dishes that can be made in advance (sauerkraut, cabbage soup, roasted radishes) and then have some cod for a main course. I like the idea of adding one dish a year.

By: Miki

Miki — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 01:13:47 +0000

Just an fyi: The Feast of Seven Fish is an ancient Catholic tradition, not just Sicilian or European. It’s celebrated in all 22 sects of the Catholic Church, including those in the East. A similar tradition closes Lent before Pascha Vigil, too. My own paternal family is French, Polish and English, and they celebrate it, and always have.

The point of the Feast is a *perfect* end to preparatory fast of Advent, awaiting the birth of the King of Kings, so your accounting for the number seven is correct. The seven fish themselves allude to the Saviour Who will feed the multitudes; it’s a symbolic play on the gift of the Eucharist. Historically, the Feast is served *after* the Vigil Mass (around Midnight) of the Nativity.

Merry Christmas.

By: Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 22:06:42 +0000

In reply to Jennie. I cook ahead when I can and refrigerate until ready to reheat.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 15:43:12 +0000

Thanks for sharing! I just learned of this tradition and would be interested in possibly doing this next year. Do you cook everything ahead of time or cook as you go along? If you cook ahead, what is the best way to keep some of the fish dishes warm?

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 19:08:26 +0000

Thank You For sharing this post. My husband is from Sicily and we try to keep his family traditions alive here in the states. This is one of the meals we do at Christmas too.