What Is the Feast of Seven Fishes?
In Italian-American households, the Feast of the Seven Fishes (also known as Festa dei Sette Pesci or La Vigilia) is celebrated on December 24. This Christmas Eve celebration kicks off the holiday festivities with a huge dinner consisting of seven courses of fish and seafood.
This tradition stems from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat the day before religious holidays (now skipping meat is mostly reserved for Fridays in Lent). In those earlier days, Italians embraced refraining from meat and celebrated Christmas Eve by pulling out all the stops and incorporating fish into a large meal.
Over time, this over-the-top meal turned into a custom that many Italian-American families look forward to each December. Learn how you can celebrate at home with your loved ones.
The post How to Host a Feast of the Seven Fishes appeared first on Taste of Home.
Nancy Mock, Lisa Kaminski