by Judy Zabriskie

Created on: December 15, 2008   Last Updated: October 29, 2010

Christmas Eve dinner should be special to your family, no matter what you serve. In our house we started a tradition many years ago when my son was little of the seven fishes. Are we Italian – No. Are we even Catholic – No, but after reading through many articles and books I found this tradition to be the most suited to our family.  Growing up in a “Jewish” household where religion was only practiced during times of turmoil or “for show” we had no traditions for anything. I wanted things to be different in my family, so after the birth of my son I decided that each holiday would carry its own tradition in the hopes that my son would carry these traditions on with his family and so on and so forth. My legacies, as it were!

That being said, the tradition of the seven fishes was born and every Christmas eve afternoon I go to the local fish market and obtain a handful of this and a fist full of that along with a piece of fish, a lobster or crab (whichever is available) all adding up to 7 species of fish and/or seafood.  At home we assemble this concoction into either a paella dish (without chicken) or a cioppino (Italian fish stew) whichever I have the ingredients in the house available to make.  I must admit that I am a constant cook so our pantry is usually well stocked, but if yours is not, just choose a dish and purchase the ingredients needed and proceed.

Our meal is usually a casual one, served at the dining room table but with no pomp and circumstances.  Come as you are – no dressing up, but comfort food and good company and usually lively conversation.  Anyone who is around is invited to attend, no gift required.  We usually serve a red or white wine (depending upon the dish) and finish with a desert of Christmas cookies or baba (which is a tradition in our house also) or Tiramisu (another tradition) or if I am up to it homemade cheesecake with a chocolate ganache. 

I do the preparation, my husband and son set the table and, of course, I do the clean up.  One year I tried to “skip” the tradition as it was my son’s first year away at college but he would not hear of it.  No empty nest syndrome depression for him – he called to make sure that everything would be the same when he returned for his annual Christmas Eve dinner and, of course, it was.  This is something our family looks forward to every year. It is nothing fancy, nothing elegant but it is HOME.

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