The Feast of the 7 Fishes: A Philadelphia Christmas Tradition

One of the better-known Philadelphia holiday traditions is the Feast of the 7 Fishes. As the name implies, this is a dinner meant to leave the table groaning under the weight of the abundance: seven (minimum – other odd numbers like nine, eleven, or even thirteen!) courses are served with all the family gathered ’round on Christmas Eve, to celebrate the coming holiday. Fish involved in the dinner include common dinner fare like tilapia or whiting, all the way to eel, sea snail, and bacalho, a salted cod preparation considered a delicacy.

We owe this quintessentially Philly to the city’s thriving Italian-American population. From the Old Country, Italian Catholics brought with them the religious tradition of fasting the night before a feast day, which Christmas is. Most of them were slightly lapsed in their observance, meaning that they simply did not eat meat or animal fat on Christmas Eve, but indulged in olive oil-cooked fish, which they elaborated served in multiple preparations. This was called Festa dei sette pesci. Because Italy has so many distinct regions – kind of like Philadelphia’s unique neighborhoods – it was also referred to as cena della Vigilia, or Christmas Eve dinner.

There’s no wrong way to prepare your own Feast, as long as you don’t wimp out and serve only two or three fishes or find a way to sneak meat in there. This orgy of pescatarian delights is best when it combines the comforting taste of the familiar with pops of zingy flavor that speak to tradition or Italian specialties. To that end, think of a rich variety of courses, including perhaps a cold seafood salad to whet the appetite, slow-cooked octopus, the freshest shrimp and scallops, semolina-crusted calimari, fish crudo, mussels in pasta, and piquant anchovies and/or sardines. Some nonnas will insist that eel is traditional and there’s no proper Feast without it, but that’s on you and your own sense of adventure.

Whether you have Italian roots or not, celebrate Christmas Eve Philly-style with piles of tasty fish!