There are much debate and a bit of mystery surrounding the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes. An elaborate dinner, complete with seven full fish courses, prepared and cooked sometimes days in advance, is nothing to shake a stick at. For Italian-American families, this is one of the most cherished holiday traditions out of the entire year. For Southern Italy, it is the most cherished and sacred meal of the year.
Since Italy is home to many different towns and cities, each with its own traditions and customs, it's not all that surprising to know that the Feast of the Seven Fishes isn't customary throughout the country. In fact, even in the US, this dinner is celebrated the most in New York than in any other state. Many Northern Italian towns aren't even familiar with the custom, let alone follow anything like it - Sure, seafood might be present at the table, but the specificity of seven dishes, and what those dishes consist of, is something altogether different.
In the US, it's a tad unclear where the number seven came from, as well. All most families know is that it's a tradition that has been passed down through generations and every year, fish markets in New York City go crazy with orders for nearly every type of seafood you can imagine.
What It's Like To Be Invited To Feast Of The Seven Fishes
Since there are no true rules to this celebration other than what each family has deemed traditional, attending a Feast of the Seven Fishes can vary from household to household. It's customary to begin preparing for this dinner in advance, though, as it does entail quite a bit of work with so many dishes and so many types of seafood. For some Southern Italian families, the feast has a sacred meaning, as it's the absence of meat that's really the main focal point. There, it's often referred to as the feast of the magro, translated as 'no meat.' This is customary in the Catholic religion as those who follow famously abstain from meat during sacred holidays throughout the year.
As for the number seven, the origin is a bit more of a mystery. Many people explain it as being a sacred number in the Bible, as it's the same number of sacraments, as well as days it took for the Earth to be created. Sometimes, the feast might have 12 dishes, which corresponds with the same number of apostles Jesus had around his table, and occasionally, it's nine, which could be in relation to the Holy Trinity, multiplied by three. And, sometimes, many will say that the number seven is simply just lucky.
Above all, many will agree that it's the food that counts - as long as there are fish dishes on the table, then all is well. The celebration itself is truly a feast in both nature and company, as it's intended to be open to family and friends who can come together around the table in joy and thanks on Christmas Eve. Some menus are irreplaceable, with dishes that have been made traditionally year after year, with family recipes that span back generations. For those who are devout, the tradition of eating fish is meant to be a means of purification when getting ready for the following days, a rule that was put into place by the Catholic church, called mangiare di magro.
What Can Be Found On The Table
Obviously, when something is known as a 'feast,' it's bound to be bold and abundant. In the case of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it most certainly is, with a traditional seven-course that vary from light and tapas-like, to hefty and filling. So, what can you expect to see on the dinner table?
The first two courses are the simplest and are meant to serve as precursors to the heavier meals. To start out, there's usually some type of snack such as a dip or salt cod (which can take up to four days to prepare from scratch). A dip can be anything from smoked trout to salmon rillette, both served with small crostini or crispy bread. The second course has a little more to it and usually comes in the form of a salad with squid or calamari.
The third course is usually the first of the boldest dishes, being something such as a head-on prawns recipe, cod, or salmon. They can be marinated, grilled, roasted, or broiled, as long as they're a little meatier than the dish prior. The fourth course, one of the most important, is always a pasta dish; traditionally, this is pasta with clams. As for the fourth dish, a seafood stew is really traditional - something with a bit of oomph to it, but nothing that's overwhelming and thick.
The sixth and seventh dishes aren't actually seafood. The sixth course is known traditionally as a palate cleanser, something like a sorbet or a light gelato in preparation for the seventh and usually final course - dessert. To finish, dessert isn't heavy and usually entails a range of Italian cookies or sweet small bites.