Feast of the Seven Fishes: Italian-American Christmas Eve Tradition
Today I have the enormous honor of welcoming Robert Tinnell, one of the authors of Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip and Italian Holiday Cookbook and of the Seven Fishes Blog.
Benvenuto Roberto!
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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING:
FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES IN OUR HOUSE
For those of you who don’t know, once upon a time I created, along with artists Ed Piskor and Alex Saviuk, an online comic strip called Feast of the Seven Fishes.
The strip developed a strong following and that in turn led to a book that collected the entire storyline (which, I should probably mention, deals with one Italian-American family’s 1983 Christmas Eve celebration in romantic comedy fashion) complete with a cookbook section (authored by my wife, Shannon) as well as an essay on the people, places and events from my life that inspired the story.
Since making the fateful decision to pursue this project back in 2004, the Feast of the Seven Fishes – the book – has taken on a life of its own. The book has done very well, drawing attention from major foodie outlets like public radio’s The Splendid Table and was nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album – Reprint.
My home town of Fairmont, WV is in the third year of a Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival which was inspired by the book’s success and is growing by leaps and bounds, all the while continuing to help preserve this marvelous holiday tradition. And, while it was somewhat delayed, there is in fact a film version of the book going into production in the near future.
For all those wonderful benefits the book has generated, however, nothing compares to what the Feast itself has done for my family.
When I was kid, eating fish on Christmas Eve was just something you did. We never called it by name. I never even bothered to question why we did it, especially as I had not been raised Catholic. All I knew was that December 24th meant a delicious meal of exotic foods, cooked up by my ancient great-grandmother, Isabella Oliverio, on her wood-fired stove in the basement of her modest home in Rivesville, WV.
As kids we savored the smelt and the stuffed calamari and her delicious soup – the latter of which, I’m sorry to say, I’ve been unable to replicate. Why didn’t I take more notice at the time? Why did I take it all for granted? In the book I excuse my inattentiveness to the fact that “when you’re young, you’re busy being young, you know?” If only I had a time machine.
Well, as a matter of fact, now I do.
I can’t recreate my great-grandmother’s dishes in exacting detail. Nor can I resurrect relatives long gone and sorely missed. But what I can do – what my family and I have done – is recreate the atmosphere of those long-ago Christmas Eves. We do it with food and smell and wine and music and laughter and love. And if I’m being honest I admit that we do it at the top of our lungs.
I don’t want to make generalizations about other Italians, but I will say that mine is, um, loud. Maybe you know an Italian family like that.
Once I finally took an interest in recapturing the magic of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, far too many older relatives had passed away. Fortunately my grandfather and his brothers were still alive and took me under wing, initiating me into the wonder of the preparation of the Feast, as well as the viability of polkas as Christmas carols.
My grandfather has been gone now nearly ten years, but on Christmas Eve I feel him at my side. Which is a wonderful feeling – especially since I don’t have to hear him yell.
The morning of Christmas Eve, my wife, my brother and my father-in-law and myself start cooking – although I should add that we’ve actually started days earlier with the soaking of the baccala and other things. We spend the day in a fury of fish, garlic, music, beer and wine. As the day rolls along we are joined by other family and friends. When all is said and done we average around fifty for dinner.
The dinner itself is a marathon, however, and is no longer limited to seven fishes. Instead it has evolved into a melting pot of traditional family recipes and new and exciting efforts. The smelt and whiting and baccala and eel, all prepared using the methods passed down through my family, sit snugly beside the octopus (grilled over open flame and served over a bed of sea salt) and the grilled sardines (drizzled in lemon juice atop anchovy angel hair pasta).
My wife and I decided a few years ago that we would go all out for the Feast and that it would serve as our Christmas present to extended family and friends. It costs quite a bit to prepare and we thought to ourselves that giving this meal and this experience to our guests would mean more than buying just anything to say we were “giving.”
To our way of thinking, what better gift than these marvelous dishes and the effort that goes into preparing them?
And rather than having one’s memories dominated by the endless gauntlet of shopping that has come to define the holidays, we hope to provide an authentic experience, one our guests will, hopefully, look forward to year-after-year.
As the world endures this time of grave economic uncertainty, it’s our hope that more people will reconsider just what they are giving for the holidays. We would, honestly, treasure a gift of homemade bread or canned jelly much more than some mass-produced trinket someone felt compelled to give us.
In that spirit, let me encourage any and all who’ve taken a moment to read this, to consider integrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes into your Christmas Eve celebration. And if you don’t have an annual Christmas Eve celebration, consider starting one.
You needn’t go as crazy as us. You needn’t even be Italian. If I’m being really honest, you needn’t even serve fish – because the real point is for you to have an honest moment with family and friends. Hopefully one centered around delicious food you’ve taken the time to prepare yourself.
Robert Tinnell
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Thanks so much Robert! I couldn’t agree with you more.
Anyone else starving now?
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Recipes
Sounds like a wonderful book – a perfect addition to my piles of Italian cookbooks and travelogues! I’m off to amazon now to have a good drool over it – and to check out the Seven Fishes Blog – thanks for the intro BE! 🙂
We have our own Christmas Eve tradition which stems from my central European heritage – a fondue bourguinonne – it should probably be a classic cheese fondue, but that’s just too heavy for the middle of summer! There’s nothing more festive at Christmas than communal eating that’s filled with fun!
Absolute Vanilla’s last blog post..I’m back – and the guinea fowl chronicles continue…
Ooh I like your tradition! A fondue would be *great* here…hmm….
And you’re welcome for the intro to Seven Fishes–great recipes and tales!
I love reading about family traditions around the world especially if it is written with humour, which I believe is the case here and when it involves food as well this sounds like a great book.
Ivy’s last blog post..Weekend Herb Blogging #161 – Roundup
Much humor here, Ivy…lots of comic strips 🙂
What a timely contribution from Robert! Thank you to both Michelle and Robert.
Just tonight I was celebrating one of our holidays with my family, and it was quite simple as it fell on a weeknight. However, just being together with everyone, laughing, supporting each other was very uplifiting and just what the doctor ordered in such an uncertain time. We have so much to be grateful for (even without all the “stuff”).
Buon Natale/Happy Holidays to everyone!
Sounds so lovely Awedree…and like your family has the right kind of Christmas spirit 🙂
I am not Italian by heritage , but am a wannabe and am Italian by marriage!
But my hubbies family here in FLorence doesn’t do the seven fishes. I think that it is a southern tradition. Naples and Sicily.
Michelle, does Calabria also do 7 fishes.
I find most of the immigrants came from south of Rome.
the Tuscan Immigrants I have met where all from Lucca area.
Buona Festa!
Diva’s last blog post..Kinder Kind of Kristmas
Yes I do think it’s a southern Italian tradition; interestingly, it seems less of a tradition here in southern Italy now than it is back in the States with Italian-Americans of southern descent. I want to write about this in the next couple weeks–how the Christmases and Christmas Eves I’ve experienced here are *so* low key here compared to those in Italian-American families in the States.
That sounds like a great book. Don’t remember much about Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners with my grandparents. Christmas Eve they usually put the four of us and any cousins to bed early! The last 15 years or so we have been rotating Christmas Eve between our house ans my wife’s two brothers that live nearby. We usually have shrimp cocktails and lobster newberg. I know those are shellfish and not real fishes. When we host Christmas Eve and my son is around we add clams on the half shell and sometimes some muscles or Maine steamer clams. Those food threads get me hungry!
Gil, those count as fish for me! And I’m hungry too….
“- because the real point is for you to have an honest moment with family and friends. Hopefully one centered around delicious food you’ve taken the time to prepare yourself.”
I so agree. This sounds like a fun read. It’s going on my list.
nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..Finally the scaffolding is down from Bernini’s “Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi/Four Rivers Fountain”.
Yes! That is the part I loved best too 🙂
My wishlist keeps on getting longer, and longer. Thank you Michelle for another extraordinary introduction. I will keep my fingers crossed.
Beatriz’s last blog post..La Cucina di Nicola: Maña’s Apple Pie
Best of luck Beatriz!
I remember years ago when a non Italian friend came to a family event, a bunch of us were in the kitchen *talking* and she had this weird look on her face, then my mom turned to her and said *Don’t worry, Jane, we aren’t shouting at each other, that is just how Italians talk.* So yes, I understand the whole *loud* bit. I also remember and incident on Christmas eve with an eel, but I’ll save that for another time! When I read about other immigrant Italian families and their Christmas Eve traditions I catch myself nodding and smiling and I can picture the dinner table and just where everyone usually sits, the song sheets with all the lyrics to our favourite Christmas carols, the dried beans ready to be used for Tombola, *It’s a Wonderful Life* ready to go into the dvd player at just the right moment, what can be better that food, family and friends all together?
joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Anna’s nuts!
Such lovely memories Joanne! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Fabulous post.
It really is all about building traditions and staying connected. What better way than the preparing and sharing of food and drink. That isn’t an “Italian only” area, but they do it so well indeed.
It is interesting to hear you say Michelle that it seems to be a bigger deal to Italian Americans from the south, because that has been what I have thought as well. We here in the north don’t have the tradition either of the Feast, but seafood and fish are always a special and welcome dish on the table or any festival. I am not Italian, except by marriage, but I always liked to make an exotic seafood dinner for Christmas eve,even before I came to Italy, as I found it a nice way to go easy into the holiday overdrive feasting the next day.
Marla’s last blog post..Torta di Nocciole, Piedmont’s and Dante’s perennial favorite!
Yes there is something cleansing about the fish dinner, I have to say. Tasty too! We’re spoiled with so much great seafood down here, but I remember back home it was a real treat in the dead of winter!
Yes. I am hungry now, too.
What a great tradition and gift, Robert. I am sure your friends look forward to it each year!
Cherrye at My Bella Vita’s last blog post..Travel Tip Tuesday: 10 Gift Ideas for Practical Travelers
I wish one of my friends would do a huge fish dinner…hint hint….;)
What a fun post. I share many of the author’s memories concerning the feast of 7 fishes 😉
Thanks for mentioning our event and giveaway as well!!
Maryann’s last blog post..Seven Fishes Feast-A Food Blogger Event
My pleasure Maryann! I’m hoping to fry up some baccalà for you and Joe 🙂
I’ve always wanted to tackle the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and one day I will. But for now, I’ll have to dream about it and read about it.
Interesting article. Thank you.
cupcake’s last blog post..I want to be a part of it
Glad you enjoyed, and thanks for stopping by 🙂
Great post! I am all about an Italian Feast around the holidays, but I am afraid seven fishes are ALOT, even for me. I like fish, but I don’t know that I LOVE it that much. Especially like eel and octopus- not at the top of my list. But I like the idea of it expanding it to other Italian foods. I’d be totally on board with that 🙂
My Melange’s last blog post..Travel Photo Friday : Trier Cathedral
Hah, you would *love* it if it were all prepared for you, I guarantee it…you don’t have to eat *all* of it, of course, but I’d recommend it 😉
Thanks for the giveaway. Family Holiday Traditions are so important. In my family we make Christmas tamales every year and it is something I would never ever stop doing.
Ooh fun! Thanks for sharing Carolyn!
What a wonderful post and great message, too. Thanks for offering another great giveaway!
My pleasure Rebecca!
I agree with Robert… it’s about being together and sharing the moment. The food is just a given! Thanks for the plug Michelle, looking forward to your baccala’…. there’s nothing more Calabrese!
I can’t wait for the baccalà either! YUM!
What a lovely post. I need to add this book to my list!
City Girl’s last blog post..Beauty Monday and Indie Spotlight on Mad City Sue
It’s definitely a great Christmas gift 🙂
I grew up in a Catholic family but we didn’t have any particular Xmas Eve traditions and I kind of missed that growing up. Now that I have a family of my own, I’m looking forward to creating some of our own, including eating fish on the 24th (even if my Northern Italian husband looked at me strange when I mentioned it!).
Milanese Masala’s last blog post..A message for Mumbai
Funny enough, my southern Italian OH wasn’t used to having a fish dinner on Christmas Eve either until I came along 🙂
To Michelle and her readers-
thank you so much for allowing me the privilege of posting here and for your kind words in your posts. This crazy meal seems to have some sort of power all its own to attract new practitioners – and how can that not be a good thing? I say it time and again – so what if you’re not Italian? – the Feast offers a marvelous “lifestyle” party for Christmas Eve. Much more fun than a last minute run to the mall to my way of thinking. If any of you are anywhere near Fairmont, WV this Saturday, December 13th, please stop by the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival. We’ll be there – along with the baccala that’s currently soaking – and I can guarantee you a delicious time. Thanks again, Michelle – this was great.
Buon Natale,
Robert Tinnell
Robert Tinnell’s last blog post..Penn Mac Rules
Hee hee our baccalà is soaking too…just about ready! I wish I was closer to come to the festival!
I did read about this event in her place and was really surprised to hear about the italian tradition of fish .
Actually till yesterday when i read the event, i thought turkey was the tradition for everybody.
I cannot even recreat my moms rdishes, i can but i always remark the taste is not same as when she is making.
Happy Cook’s last blog post..Home Made Christmas Gifts Round Up
Well this is Christmas Eve with the fish, but I can guarantee you most Italians don’t eat turkey on Christmas day here…more like lasagna 🙂
I don’t think the whole fish thing would go over real big with my family.
Christmas to us has always meant a big turkey dinner. The fact that Thanksgiving was a close memory matters not to us.
The Christmas bird is what we look forward to.
The book sounds wonderful. Well written for sure and well thought out.
PotatoChef’s last blog post..Potato Ricer
Yes I think quite a few cultures do a big bird on Christmas Day–remember though this Feast of the Seven Fishes is on Christmas Eve because traditionally meat is prohibited that day for Roman Catholics.
Ah yes, the soaking of the baccala -a family ritual. My grandma breaded and fried it. I did a post on Christmas Eve at my Grandma’s Calabrese style on my website. There would be 30 – 40 people that went through my Grandmas’ house (prounounced “hahhs” in Pittsburghese) on Christmas Eve. I guess you know we called you guys in W.V. “ridge-runners”. My Grandma liked to call Anglos “cake-eaters”. She and my great-grandmother ran a speakeasy in Sewickley, Pa during prohibition.
Your book sounds great – and you’re right – you can’t really duplicate the atmosphere and so on.
Marc’s last blog post..Cow Abductions: Crisis in the Heartland
Hah, your grandmother sounds like a *very* interesting lady!
Sounds like a wonderful book. I would love to add it to my collection! Memories are what the holidays are made of!
These days Christmas is my love and myself since he is critical on call to his company. But that is okay. We have each other and we have all that we need in life. The important things. Our home, health, love and life.
Becca’s last blog post..We are off to a good start on the Swaps!
My holidays are usually just P and me (and the pooches), and it’s nice too; it really is what you make of it 🙂
It’s funny I’m usually the adventurous eater in our family but Andrew LOVES calamari while I’ve never quite worked up the courage to try it. Well that’s not entirely accurate, it’s more than when it’s on the menu in a restaurant it’s just that I see other stuff I’d rather try and it drops to the bottom of the list. Maybe I should give it a try.
Michelle at Scribbit’s last blog post..Holiday Hair–How to Do a Modern Curl
I love tradition and love to give and receive homemade gifts. My annual gift I make is caramel corn. I don’t think it’s anything special but people rave about it. I think it’s because you don’t find homemade items around much. I start my popcorn popping frenzy this weekend.
This book sounds wonderful, can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
Ice Tea For Me’s last blog post..NaBloPoMo – NoMo
I loved reading about how the 7 Fishes tradition has grown to what sounds like about 100 fishes. My husband’s Sicilian family also did the fishes meal when he was young – also the Lentils for New Year’s, which signified money!
My family was northern European. We had ALL the neighbors in after Santa had visited the town green – Mom had a huge ham at one end of the big table and huge turkey at the other. In between were a gazillion tasty dishes (mashed potatoes my fave). Everyone ate, drank and made merry until it was time to go to the midnight service at church, which began at 11. When it was over, it was Christmas! (and in my memory there was always a light dusting of snow falling). Time to grab a few hours sleep before Mom’s traditional Christmas breakfast… ahhhh. yum.
Fern Driscoll’s last blog post..Italian Water Torture
Awesome, Fern…I’m a big mashed potatoes fan myself 🙂 Love this holiday scene. Just *love* it 🙂
I grew up with the seven fishes on Christmas Eve. My grandmom always had baccala soaking in a basin in the basement. The funny traditions you remember. I’ve actually never made it myself. This year I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing. The book sounds great.
The Food Hunter’s last blog post..Italian American Lasagna
Do it FH! It’s not complicated at all; I thought it would be because I’m not used to cooking fish, but it’s truly simple. If P gets on the ball (he’s in charge of the baccalà), I’ll be posting some fried baccalà soon…and maybe even some with tomatoes after the holidays 🙂
What memories!!
I too grew up with Italian food prepared with such love and respect from first and second generation arrivals into the United States. Many of my family’s favorite meals come from lessons learned from just a little girl – all the way into my adulthood to today.
The memories of Italian holiday meals in New Jersey still bring tears and hunger.
Dori
Dori Fritzinger’s last blog post..A Moment on my Soap Box!
What great memories Dori; I know you would enjoy this book 🙂
Sounds like an excellent book. Makes me wish more of my older relatives were alive to help me keep these traditions around.
It’s never too late to keep traditions going…share what you know now, Peter, so future generations won’t have to guess!
I would love this book! Part of my family is Sicilian and yes they are loud LOL!
Dani’’s last blog post..While I am at it: Dear young thugs,
Hah! Good luck!
In Molfetta the Christmas eve tradition is “fritelle” and “cime di rape” and, of course, frutti di mare!
saretta’s last blog post..Via Puccini
Mmmm sounds great to me 🙂
Sorry to post twice on this, but baccala has me going. I hate it myself, and the Captain doesn’t much care for it either. We live 8 km from the sea, but the Trattoria across the street has a specialty of baccala at this time of year. When we asked Rosa, the proprietress of the Trattoria why she didn’t serve fresh fish she replied, “But we live so far from the sea.” We just don’t understand why people who live by a sea full of fresh fish want to eat fish that was dried hundreds of miles away and hundreds of days ago… any ideas?
Fern Driscoll’s last blog post..Italian Water Torture
Hmm…my thoughts…perhaps since it is preserved and there is more flexibility in using it, people could get lots of it, store it, and use it whenever, particularly in the winter (Christmas) when the fishing industry isn’t as active around here–winds and rain run pretty much from October to March, which can make fishing dangerous and the availability of fresh fish more sparse. And remember there wasn’t reliable refrigeration until relatively recently around here, so fresh fish would have to be used the same day, also limiting its use, especially for large groups of people on one day occasions.
And please feel free to comment whenever you like–there’s no post limit (although only one comment counts toward the contest) 🙂
I keep the tradition of The Feast of The Seven fishes and we all look forward to our favorite every year. My husbnad loves baccala, I love lobster, my son love the stuffed squid and my daughter the breaded and fried shrimp! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. There is nothing better than bing together and celebrating Jesus birth than in this happy and delicious meal.
Next year I will have a grandson at my table! I can’t wait! What will his favorite fish dish be?
That’s so cute Pat! Yes, who knows what his favorite will be?
Sorry Michelle–I posted the wrong blog link in my last two posts! This one works!
Pat’s last blog post..Christmas in New York
There’s your most recent post! Thanks Pat 🙂
This does sound good, but I honestly don’t know how they do it. All that and then the very next day all the Christmas fare! And still their waistlines are in check…
casalba’s last blog post..Frantoio
Well, not *all* the waistlines are in check….
My mother finally switched from baccala to orange roughy. It only took my mom 40+ years to realize that her kids weren’t going to eat the baccala. 🙂 Thanks for your blogs and site. It’s a lot of fun to read.
Hah! Well at least the change has been made 😉
That entire dinner sounds amazing. We never have seafood for Christmas. A grilled octopus would be so awesome to serve the family.
Nate’s last blog post..Homemade Li Hing Margarita
Sounds great to me too, Nate!
My father came from a village in Calabria, and his family emigrated to PA and NY for a stint before returning to Italy in the ’30’s to live in Calabria once again. As an adult, Dad came back to the US, and we always had the fish on Christmas eve, cannoli, though never the “whole seven fishes!” He tried many times to move the presents to the Feast of the Epiphany (we were too American to buy that). Thanks for the wonderful blog- I’m heading back to Calabria myself, and I’ll keep checking back…
How fun! If you’ll be around Catanzaro, please let me know!
Growing up in an Italian-American family in Rhode Island, I can say that of all the holidays, Christmas Eve was (and is) everyone’s favorite. From fried smelts to snail salad to pasta aioli, there wasn’t a dish everyone anticipated each year. For the adults, this was much better than awaiting Santa’s arrival. 🙂 Thanks for offering this wonderful give-away!
Susan from Food Blogga’s last blog post..How to Make Traditional Italian Almond Biscotti
Snail salad? Bring it on!!!!
We’ve actually been invited to a 7 fishes Christmas Eve this year…………it’s been a long time. Can’t wait!!!
I would love to win. I am half Italian, as is my husband. Our traditional meal always contains all fish and shellfish. Great giveaway!
Best of luck Carol!
I adore these old traditions! Maybe if I win this book I’d make something other than desserts and bread! 😉
Zoë François’s last blog post..Aunt Else’s Aebleskiver Giveaway! (My Baker’s Christmas Wish List continues!)
Best of luck Zoë!
My most vivid memories of my Italian relatives are connecting to sitting at a large table for muli-course meals. I never had the opportunity to have a traditional fish dinner with my mom’s family, but I am sure that my aunt Zizi had an impressive spread. She loved to cook for others, and all my memories of her are in her kitchen or in her garden.
I look forward to taking a closer look at this cookbook, as I need to carry on the tradition that I inherited from my ancestors.
Buona Natale to Michelle and all who have posted here.
JenniferRafferty’s last blog post..Celiac Disease Support & Social Networking
What lovely memories! Buone feste anche a te 🙂
Please enter me in the giveaway! Thanks 🙂 Some of my best memories as a child center around the seven fishes dinner on Christmas Eve.
Chrissy’s last blog post..I’m alive!
You’d love this book Chrissy! Best of luck 🙂
Hey Michelle,
I never realized you are a writer! I’m so happy to see this..
I have been trying to write a book for a long time..sure hope I get to read yours..
hugs,Leslee
Thanks Leslee! I hope so too 😉
Thanks for the great opportunity!
My pleasure, Chris! Good luck!
Hi Michelle,
Okay, I know that I’m a tad late for this wonderful book offer. However, being a writer myself, (self published on-line), your site gives me inspiration to continue. Thank you.
That’s great Cindy; thanks so much for letting me know…and keep writing!
Thank you!
My pleasure!
I was married to an Italian man for seven years and every Christmas Eve his family would do the Feast of the Seven Fishes. I thought it was a wonderful tradition; the whole family was together.
It is great having the whole family together, I agree. Thanks for stopping by Lynne!