A Feast of the Seven Fishes Menu for Christmas Eve Dinner

The Feast of Seven Fishes, an Italian tradition, is celebrated on Christmas Eve each year. In Italy, the meal is known as Festa Dei Sette Pesci, or, more simply, La Vigilia. The tradition is one of abstinence; Catholics historically refrained from eating meat on the night before the Christmas holiday, so this was a way for Italians to still honor the occasion without breaking their vows. Each family has its own dishes, of course, passed down from generation to generation, but there are some common threads among the people who celebrate this feast. You are likely to see, for instance, salt cod, clams, octopus, anchovies, sardines, and, if you're fortunate, lobster. The menu we've created rises to the occasion of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, with dishes that are exceptional on their own.