Italian Tradition: Feast of the 7 Fishes


I have made a couple variations of this one.

HOT CRAB DIP
[h=4]Ingredients[/h]
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup salsa
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, cubed
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) imitation crabmeat, flaked
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  • Assorted crackers
​
[h=4]Directions[/h]
  • 1. In a small bowl, combine milk and salsa. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese, crab, onions and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Serve with crackers. Yield: about 5 cups.
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I was told the seven fishes represent the 7 sacraments of the Catholic church.
It's very popular with the Italian culture and most Italians are religious.
 

Christmas Eve was at one time considered to be a vigilia di magro ("lean feast") in the Catholic religion, a day without meat. I'm not sure if that is still true.

In this area it was a big tradition followed by the tradition of coming home from midnight mass and having a hot sausage sandwich with peppers and onions as a late night snack.

I'm not Catholic or Italian American but last night I had a piece of fish and six fried shrimp in solidarity with my neighbors!
 
It used to be "fast before feast". Since Christ's Mass is a feast day, you fasted the night before, up until midnight , by not eating meat.

No sacrifice at many homes, however. Like at my friend's Italian family home; she never got all 7, but with lobsters, shrimp, clams casino, tomato sauce with calamari and a repeat of clams in the white clam sauce, steaks for those who wanted them, Italian pies, etc, it was a feast every year, the night before.
 
Aunt Bea said:
In this area it was a big tradition followed by the tradition of coming home from midnight mass and having a hot sausage sandwich with peppers and onions as a late night snack.

!
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I did not know my Italian Grandmother well, she died when I was 5. Lately one of my older cousins has been sharing many memories with me. She most recently told me how out grandmother and one of our aunt's would spend the days before Christmas grinding up meats to make home made sausage for Christmas day.
 
Marie5656 said:
I did not know my Italian Grandmother well, she died when I was 5. Lately one of my older cousins has been sharing many memories with me. She most recently told me how out grandmother and one of our aunt's would spend the days before Christmas grinding up meats to make home made sausage for Christmas day.
Click to expand...

I wish I had paid attention to a couple of the old Italians in my life that made sausages and dried them or cured them in jars of oil. We still have one old meat market that makes a special holiday sausage with wine and Romano cheese added to the ground meat and spices.

We also have one old bakery left that only makes one kind of basic Italian bread. It is a tradition and an honor to be the member of the family that stands in the long line to get the bread fresh from the oven on Christmas Eve!

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