The feast of the 7 fishes is a tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve the Italian way. The night before Christmas we abstain from eating meat, feasting on fish while waiting for the birth of Jesus at midnight. So here are 22 recipe ideas for a 3 meal course plus dessert including recipes you can make ahead.
Merry Christmas!

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Origin of the 7 fishes tradition
Some people wonder if this really is an Italian tradition, and yes it is.
Even if it is not strictly Catholic, the Roman Catholic Church does not require fasting the night before Christmas, we do eat fish on Christmas Eve.
Now, are there seven? Not really. The first time I heard about the number of 7 was in New York, but I am happy to go with it as the Italian Christmas Eve feast has many fish served in different ways, and 7 is a good number to use as a reference, so why not?
Personally I think that the reason we eat fish on Christmas Eve is just that it is easier to digest at night and since Italians like sumptuous banquets, fish is a better option given we will be stuffing ourselves again the next day with meat....and more food on the following days!
7 recipes for each course
So here is a list of 7 (I have added more) recipes for each course of a 3-course meal plus side dishes and traditional Italian Christmas desserts. I am sure you will find something that you and your family will enjoy this Christmas.
If you want to know more about how an Italian meal is structured and the number of courses we serve for a special feast, you can read the article: Italian Sunday Dinner a 6 meal courses.
To ease off your work I have specified which dish you can make the day before and just warm up in the evening before serving.
Starters
Make ahead
Make last minute
Primo piatto:pasta, rice, stew
Make last minute
Main Course
Make ahead
Make last minute
Side dishes
Desserts
Make-ahead
Freezer friendy
Make before serving
Setting up an Italian dinner table
Once you choose your menu, set up your table and make it festive.
To make sure the serving goes smoothly, check out the article: Italian table setting and etiquette.
Did you know you are not supposed to say: "Buon appetito" before dinner starts?
If you are making any of the recipes above, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
Danielle Wolter
What a great collection of fish recipes! I'm not catholic, but I am all about eating fish for xmas dinner!
Laura
Yes, in the evening fish is so much lighter
Paula Montenegro
I hadn't heard of this feast, but the recipes sound amazing! I grew up Catholic but only heard about fish during Easter. LOVE this idea, thanks for sharing!
Laura
Yes, it is very Italian and therefore Italian-American
Demeter
Wow! So many amazing options to pick and choose from. Thank you pulling all of these wonderful recipes together.
Laura
I am glad you find it helpful, I would have them all at once
Kelly Anthony
What a great collection of Christmas Eve recipes. I love reading about traditions and how everyone spends their Christmas Eve.
Laura
Thank you, yes it is so nice to know about traditions
Heidy L. McCallum
Every recipe link looks amazing. I'm so happy to have come across this round-up! Great holiday recipes. We will be trying a few of these.
Laura
Thank you, I am glad you found some ideas
Noreen
We eat fish on Christmas Eve because of Mary’s labor.
Laura
Interesting, thank you for the comment