In my family, Christmas is a time of traditions. Matching holiday pajamas. Last minute Christmas Eve shopping with my dad for my mom. And our seafood Christmas Eve dinner served in my mom’s kitchen.
Matching Christmas Pajamas
I was raised Greek Catholic, so it was customary for my family to abstain from meat and milk products on Christmas Eve. As I got older, I learned that for Italians this is known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. We aren’t Italian, but my mom raised me to cook like one (see my ever popular meatball recipe). This feast consists primarily of seafood (minimum seven dishes), as well as pasta, baked goods and veggies.
Fried Foodapalooza
Our dinner typically consists of the following:
- Pierogies
- Fried shrimp
- Cocktail shrimp
- Salmon
- Fried scallops
- Fried smelts
- Clams
- Catfish
And the pièce de résistance, fish from Long John Silver’s.
Long John Silver's Fish
We’ve been having fish from Long John Silver’s as a part of this dinner for as long as I can remember. While our tastes are a bit more refined now, it still remains a staple in our meal. Like I said, Christmas is a time of traditions.
What’s on your menu for Christmas or Christmas Eve? How do you celebrate the holidays in your kitchen?
Whether honoring long-standing traditions or creating new ones, I hope you all have a joyous holiday shared with loved ones.
One Comment
Ah, the Feast of the Seven Fishes. My Sicilian mother-in-law would be proud! I’ve always wanted to do it, despite being a vegetarian. Someday…
We never had much of a Christmas tradition to speak of. My siblings would tear through a ham or turkey while I dined on sides.
Hope you had a lovely holiday. Happy New Year!