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    Home » Recipes

    Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Sicilian Christmas Eve Dinner

    Published: Dec 10, 2021 · Modified: Feb 16, 2022 by Cara Kretz · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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    Feast of the Seven Fishes

    Let the Festivities Begin!! It's time to start planning the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

    The most magical night of the year is Christmas Eve. We come together as a family and savor the time we have with each other here on earth, and remember the loved ones who have passed on.  And we eat great food.

    Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as La Vigilia (The Vigil), is a Sicilian-American traditional dinner on Christmas Eve. Like many Italian traditions, the origin and rules are debated. The seven fish dishes refer to the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic church, or the seven days it took God to make the Universe, or the seven virtues, or the seven deadly sins.  Some Italians celebrate with 13 dishes for the 12 apostles plus Jesus.  Italians may not agree, but it really doesn't matter, as long as family is together on Christmas Eve. Any of these seven fish dishes would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas Eve dinner table.

    Lobster Arancini (Risotto Balls) with Saffron Aioli

    Baked Clams on the Half Shell

    Garlicky Shrimp Scampi

    King Crab Legs with Drawn Butter

    Linguini with Clams and Mussels in a Spicy Red Sauce

    Baked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Caper Berries

    Seared Swordfish with Balsamic Orange Glaze on a Bed of Spinach

    My Mother's way to serve Christmas Eve dinner took hours. Each course - antipasto platter, fish entree(s), pasta(s), meat and vegetables entree, and finally dessert(s) & coffee  - was comprised of a number of specialities tailored for our family's taste.  After each course we would clear off plates, load the dishwasher and prep for the next round. The "Feast of the Seven Fishes" turned into "Feast of the Five Fishes Plus Roast Beef" to accommodate the non-fish eaters in the family. Everyone pitches in to create our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, perform skits and songs, eat, watch old family videos, open presents, play a game, drink coffee and wine, and eat some more.

    We normally host between 18 to 22 for the family sit-down dinner. Dessert always includes Christmas cookies made at my sister's "Cookiepalooza" Baking Party", and some extra goodies from my Top Ten Italian Christmas Cookies cookbook. Oh yeah, and a Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake.

    Scroll to see if any of these Feast of the Seven Fishes delights might be added to your Christmas table this year!  Make a batch of Homemade Shellfish Stock to use for extra flavor in many of these recipes.

    Lobster Arancini Cut to see insideLobster Arancini with Saffron Aioli. 

    baked clamsBaked Clams on the Half Shell

    Shrimp ScampiGarlicky Shrimp Scampi

    King Crab LegsKing Crab Legs with Drawn Butter

    Linguini Clams Mussels Red SauceLinguini with Clams and Mussels in a Spicy Red Sauce

    baked halibutBaked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Caper Berries

    SwordfishSeared Swordfish with Balsamic Orange Glaze on a Bed of Spinach

    Pizzelle Cannoli

    Cara's Cannoli with Pizzelle Shell

    cherry chocolate chip cheesecake

    Chocolate Chip Cherry Cheesecake

    What are your family traditions for Christmas Dinner?

    Buon Natale!

    « FREE eBook - Download my Top Ten Italian Christmas Cookie RecipesNow
    La Befana’s Panettone Ice Cream Cake for Epiphany »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JoAnn v.

      January 17, 2017 at 6:59 pm

      Absolutely beautiful, I always do the seven fishes, but this is gorgeous

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        January 18, 2017 at 3:27 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    2. susan

      December 20, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Hey I forgot to tell you
      Add 1/4 to 1/ 2cup of Dry Sac Sherry to the shrimp recipe. I beat it in with my butter. Yummmmy

      Reply
      • homemadeitaliancooking

        December 21, 2015 at 9:35 am

        That is an awesome idea! I will try it

        Reply
    3. susan

      December 20, 2015 at 5:41 pm

      Looks like my grandma's xmas eve table. Im going to try them all. Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
    4. Jennifer Nutley MacLennan

      December 15, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      Cara it all looks beautiful. Enjoyed explore the blog tonight. Love Jennifer Nutley MacLennan

      Reply
      • homemadeitaliancooking

        December 21, 2015 at 9:36 am

        Thank you Jennifer!

        Reply
    5. jamie curry

      December 15, 2015 at 8:47 am

      The lobster aranici looks fab! Going to search your site for the recipe now. Thanks a million.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Cara Mia Cipolla. My goal is to pass on my recipes, tips and secrets and hopefully inspire others to become great home cooks. In addition to the blog, I also write cookbooks, teach cooking classes, and take on the occasional consulting project for other culinary businesses.

    More about me →

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