Anybody cooking the traditional Italian christmas eve dinner of 7 fishes?

I am not Italian but have friends that are, and on Christmas eve, their family would have a dinner that consisted of 7 different dishes of various fish. Some of my memories of these dishes were

Shrimp Scampi
Broiled Scallops
Baccala
Pasta with a Tuna Sauce
Fried Smelt
Stuffed Squid

Anybody out there doing something like this tonight?

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50 Responses to “Anybody cooking the traditional Italian christmas eve dinner of 7 fishes?”

  1. spunkyspud79 said :

    i -hate -seafood

  2. ♥C0w_LuV3r♥ said :

    ewahh dont eat the infected fish

    Happy Trails ♥!

  3. Curious Cat said :

    Traditional Italians maybe?

  4. T. B. the Wise said :

    We are having a traditional Italian dinner, but not that tradition! Pasta!

  5. arielle a said :

    I am doing this

  6. john travolta said :

    yes we are having the traditional italian supper and of course roasted chestnuts and pannettone ..Merry Xmas

  7. jim w said :

    im doing seafood but totally diffrent im going with mostly shell fish lobster clams mussels

  8. monkeyhijinx said :

    having curry had fish before

  9. tandkalexander said :

    Nope.

  10. judy f said :

    That sounds pretty interesting – I never heard of that.

    I know some Italians – and I know I like their type of food!

    I think you should have Spumoni ice cream for dessert!

  11. Anne Julia B said :

    no

  12. Angela said :

    My family does it every year.

    You forgot the spaghetti with clam sauce and the snail salad!

    Buon Natale!

  13. Sacha said :

    I love this traditional dinner. I have had it with different preparations, but it was the same idea.
    It’s much better than turkey, as I detest fowl. It is truly foul!

  14. BlueSea said :

    No. But that sounds like heaven.

  15. descarte@sbcglobal.net said :

    Not this year

  16. lauralovess.o.s said :

    YEAH

  17. zoee_d said :

    That sounds divine!

  18. esmerelda said :

    I wish I was! When I lived out east, I had a friend who’s family did this every Christmas Eve and man, I LOVED it! They would do lobster tails, shrimp, grilled squid, fish stew, broiled scallops – all kinds of things…it’s was just the most amazing afternoon full of all kinds of seafood! (I’m a big seafood lover, so that helps! lol!)

  19. jim s said :

    We’re having cod with eggsauce!

  20. Kristine M said :

    This is the first I have heard of this tradition but I did a little digging online – I gather that this is a Southern Italian tradition. Sounds like a yummy Christmas – better than turkey to be sure.

    Buon Natale!

  21. Aryeh said :

    No, but I’d kill for a good veal parmigian.

  22. Susan G said :

    This is tradition with my husband’s family – although I’m pretty sure that they go well over seven different sorts of fish. I’ll be stuffed by round 3 but will save room for calamari.

  23. Brenda S said :

    I am not doing it…But my Neighbors who are Italian do it
    and I am in high hopes that they will bring over some of the best shrimp I have ever had…They did last year and Wow
    Outstanding….Happy Holidays
    Munja

  24. Positive P said :

    My friend do that.
    Happy holiday.

  25. shootingstars957 said :

    I have never heard of this but it does sound interesting…Merry Christmas

  26. krispii4 said :

    My friends are….sounds yummy

  27. Stasia Lu said :

    nope! i am not Italian!

    happy christmas!

  28. Christina Houston said :

    I wish, Lol. I hate living in a “traditional American” household. Last time we had ordered-out burgers for Christmas dinner.

  29. steviebyday said :

    no don’t see the point , don’t know any Italians anyway …………………

  30. Kerry said :

    Nope.

  31. Richard N said :

    no but we have done the lasagna and or manicotti several times, not all the time but on occasion. would love to do something other than ham or turkey though

  32. Tessa ♥ said :

    Hmmm… not sure… I am French Canadian, and we always have Meat Pies, they are called “tourtière.”

  33. Carlo d'Umbria said :

    Of course!

    And don’t forget New Years Eve: you must eat lentils and wear red underwear.

  34. colklink88 said :

    My aunts do that. I remember it being a tradition as a kid but we don’t go to their house any more on Christmas.

    At our home we’re doing stuffed calamari tonight, and handmade pizza & cookies.

  35. elizabeth l said :

    sounds good!!

  36. J.A.K. <3 said :

    i’m not but my best friend is

  37. Destiny said :

    yuck, get a life

  38. susan p said :

    No we wont be doing that. Our family is polish and german. I love seafood though.

    Merry Christmas.

  39. Ginger H said :

    You rocked my world!
    It has been ages since I heard of or *drools* ate 7 fishes.

  40. hieatthouse said :

    yes we have been doing it forever we eat fish dishes all day today stay up till midnight open our gifts and eat again and christmas day we eat roast all kinds of meat lasagna,baked ziti,homemade pizza the food never stops….

  41. Samirah said :

    I’m Italian raised in Boston and we do a typical New England Dinner…sorry, no fishy stuff going on in my kitchen!

    I got to feed an Army…and they thrive on homemade Macaroni and Cheese!

  42. quambewy said :

    well the meatless 7 fish xmas eve dinner is a catholic tradition, not just italian. i’m polish and we do the 7 fish but they closely correspond to our cuisine…however, yes. to answer ur question…i am doing something similar tonight.

  43. MadforMAC said :

    I wish! Sounds good. I saw a cooking show the other day (Martha Stewart) that featured a chef cooking that, looked so yummy. It’s hard to watch cooking shows…*sigh*…when will they invent taste-a-vision??? Lol!

  44. thediscostrangler said :

    OYSTER stew…………….yummo!

  45. Genius Cook said :

    I’ve been around Italians most of my life and have never heard of this tradition…. In fact I’m having Christmas dinner with Italians tonight and it’ll be ravioli stuffed with pumpkin, roast turkey, ice cream, fruit and gallons of wine.

  46. Ivy said :

    no sorry not doing anything too special for dinner tonight. Oh but that stuff sounds really good though I love seafood. well maybe not the Squid I couldn’t eat a squid. and clams are just gross. But now you got me thinking I really want a crab a Dungeness Crab I think I will pick me up one for dinner. Thanks

  47. disposabledude said :

    Not a lot of Italians living in Arkansas that I know of but this sounds interesting. I love to hear of other cultures and how they celebrate Christmas.

  48. valerie h said :

    Sorry I am a mexicana chica. That is my culture so we are doing a mexican dinner tomorrow for xmas. I though hope you have fun with your friends tonight.

    As we say Feliz Navidad prospedo ano felizidad. Or as you say Merry Christmas.

  49. Cassandra C said :

    OH MY GOSH – I’m going to mother-in-law’s tonight! I HOPE she makes me all that fish! Sounds WONDERFUL

  50. Maria J said :

    I’m not, because tonight is my 20th anniversary and I’m not cooking! But my son in Oregon is. We didn’t discuss his exact menu, but being of Italian descent, my experience has been that every cook prepares the seven fishes according to the regional specialties they grew up with.

    Congrats to you, eating the baccala and stuffed squid even though you’re not Italian. My husband is a WASP, and he doesn’t even like the smell of them. Won’t eat tripe either (not a fish) which is my favorite dish that my mother used to make for me on holidays.

    Hope your dinner is fantastic and enjoyed by all. Merry, Merry!




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