Christmas eve 7 fishs

[akruckus]

Christmas eve is my favorite food holiday.  I would trade Christmas presents for Christmas Eve without even thinking about it. 

Little background:
I started helping my grandmom prepare everything starting in 2000.  December 2003 was a rough month, I had a severe ankle sprain on the same day my 83 year old grandmom was hit by a car, then a week later, my Yiayia (grandmother in Greek) lost her battle with round 3 of cancer.  My mom didn't want to do it that year but I told her we needed some normalcy so that was the first year I did it on my own.  The following few years once my grandmom recovered I still did the bulk of the work changing a few things here and there but she helped and told me what she didn't like about what I made the previous year.  Last October my grandmom passed away and I once again with a heavy heart made Christmas Eve on my own.

After trying to do both Christmas Eve and Christmas day at my house, we changed things up this year and although I cooked everything, I brought it all to my parents house and we hosted just Christmas day. We were a smaller group so it was a little easier on me this year, usually we make 9 to give anyone choices of their 7, this year was only 8 different ones.

Any specific recipes I can detail upon request, including red sauce or clam sauce (not pictured).

Pictures are as Follows:
Whole roasted Branzino
Clam cakes in scallop shells
Crab Spread on cucumber
Shrimp Ceviche (in place of baccala)
Smoked Salmon display
Stuffed Calamari
Seared Tuna
The Full Spread

Not Pictured:
Mussels Marinara
Shrimp Cocktail
Linguine and Clams (too much red wine for me to remember to take a picture)

Hope everyone had a good Holiday season and has a Happy and Healthy New year



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[africanmeat]

It looks amazing you definitely doing your grandma proud . keep the tradition .
you just need Ouzo and Raki with some taramasalata maybe some anchovies .
great job my friend .

[hikerman]

Beautiful meal!  Your grandmother is smiling at you from above!
Reminds me of our Christmas Eve meals growing up,  coming home after midnight mass to all these wonderful smells and tastes. You must keep the tradition alive.
Happy New Year!

[aliengriller]

Love the history of what you have kept going.    Also treasure many family traditions from years gone by.   Not as easy to keep up with them as it was, but we try.   Like Oyster stew after midnight service on Christmas Eve, prime rib for Christmas dinner, my maternal grandmother's Kolaches, hand knit stockings for ALL family members, etc.   

[drholly]

Everything looks wonderful. But, the best part is keeping traditions going - good for you!

[SmokinKat]

What wonderful memories, you've done them proud keeping the tradition going! 

Lovely looking spread-- That must be hard to pick just 7!   

[teesquare]

I am intrigued wight e tradition...I have a seen at least one other post of the Christmas Eve fish dinner tradition...Can you tell us if this is a religious or ethnic origin tradition? I love knowing the history of such traditions.

[hikerman]

Half of my heritage is of Italian bllood. I was raised Catholic and this fish for Christmas Eve is a traditional Italian feast, as no meat was allowed until Christmas Day. I suspect this was a Mediterranean Christian tradition with it's roots in religious rites etc.

[TwoPockets]

That all looks delicious. I want to do Christmas at your house.

[Big Dawg]

Sadly, a tradition that my dad never carried on from his youth.  All he talks about is how bad the house smelled when my grandmother would rehydrate and then cook the baccalà.  Now, for us, it's in the past. 

I'm glad that you, and your family, are carrying on with it.  Your meal looks great and I'm sure that your family it.

Tee, I'd always heard it was an Italian custom, obviously associated with the strictures of the Catholic Church.  After all, historically, Italy has only been about 112% Catholic.  Christmas Eve (La Vigilia di Natale) was one of the days that, in the Pre-Vatican II days, you could not eat meat.

But, we were talking about it over the holidays this year and my mom, who is Polish/Catholic, said that her family also did this when she was young.





BD

[pz]

I've the same feeling about Christmas eve as you regarding the food fest, but dang, yours puts mine to shame!

[teesquare]

Thanks fellas for the history...I knew of the "no-meat Friday" traditions of the Catholic, Luthern and a couple of other religions....BUt was not sure about the Christmas Eve tradition.

Awesome meal aruckus!

[Smokin Don]

What a feast!!! All were beautiful presentations too!!! I know that was a lot of work; nice cooking!!! Don

[akruckus]

Thanks everyone.

Kat- No need to limit at 7, but if someone doesn't like one of the fishes we try and make extra to give everyone a chance at 7.

Tee- All I know is you don't eat meat until Christmas day, and a lot of Italians do it. How it started I have no idea, but it is what we did as a young kid. I love seafood and my family loves to eat so I continue it. I do know that the "real" way of doing it is having 7 courses each with its own fish, but to save time money and my grandmom headaches she did all as antipasto with linguine and clams as dinner.  I cannot imagine trying to make 7 courses.

[TentHunteR]

What a great feast and tradition.  What a great way to remember.

Be sure you pass this tradition down.