12/22/2006

Seven fishes is Christmas tradition
By Tom Range, Sr.

Apart from the Christmas turkey, there are few American traditions associated with Christmas that have not been adopted from the country's multi-cultural heritage.  The Christmas tree comes from Germany via Victorian England, Kris Kringle or Santa Claus from the Netherlands, and St. Nicholas, the original Santa Claus was a bishop in Turkey famed for leaving toys and other presents to the poor children of his diocese.

A custom carried on by some Americans of Italian heritage is the feast of the seven fishes, a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve.  It is difficult to pin down the origins of the feast.  Prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, Catholics world-wide were obliged to abstain from meat on various days throughout the year, the vigil of Christmas being one of them.  To comply with this restriction, and yet to sustain the festiveness of the holiday people generally living in the south of Italy, from about Naples down, including Sicily, began the custom.

The question arises as to why seven fish courses were determined to be part of the custom.  A few theories, all based upon religious themes have been presented.  Among them are the seven fishes represent the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church; Baptism, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Sick in modern parlance; or the seven deadly sins, pride, envy, anger, gluttony, sloth, lust and greed.  The origins could be as simple as a reminder of the seven days of the week.  Other theories on the origin include the Seven Hills of Rome and the Seven Wonders of the World.

The menu of the seven fishes varied from region to region in Southern Italy, dependent upon what fish were available locally.  Eel is considered to be a must in some areas. Its serving is as traditional to many Italians as the turkey is for Americans on Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

The seven fish, as the menu has developed in America, generally consist of calamari (squid), scungilli (conch or snails), bacalao (dry, salt cod), shrimp, clams, mussels plus some type of big fish such as snapper, sea trout, tuna or salmon.  The bacalao usually takes several days to prepare and then are fried.  The calamari, clams and mussels are either simmered into tomato sauce and served over linguine or angel hair pasta or boiled, steamed or baked.

Obversely Italian-American living in areas separated from big city communities is hard-pressed to locate the ethnic food stores carrying the products associated with the feast. The inclusions of salmon and tuna are Americanisms, needed to comply with the tradition of the explosion of Mediterranean fish into the old country. Other short cuts applied by the fussy 21st century homemaker to the 5th and 6th century celebration is preparing a large and succulent tomato-based stew called cidppino, conjoining the obligatory seven fish. The Christmas Eve dinner table could be graced by servings of smelts, catfish, crabs, sardines, anchovies, lobster and caviar.

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