Italian holiday table traditions

The Seven Fishes and Panettone

When asked about the history of Italian holiday traditions, Lauren Cirafesi, owner of OMBRA Cucina Italiana, eagerly shared two of her favorites. “We always offer the Seven Fish Dinner or La Vigilia on Christmas Eve, which is the traditional Christmas dinner in Italy,” she said. “We also sell and serve Panettone as a dessert feature at Christmas every year. It is the traditional Christmas cake that every household in Italy has on their dinner table.” 

While many of us have heard of these dishes and maybe even tried them around the holiday season, understanding their history makes them all the more delicious. Here’s what we learned from Cirafesi.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, or “Festa dei Sette Pesci,” is a Christmas Eve tradition in many Italian-American households. This Christmas Eve feast stems from Catholics abstaining from meat in commemoration of waiting for the birth of Jesus. There is a lot of symbolism in fish to early Christians, who used a fish to identify themselves in times of persecution. The significance of the seven fishes has a number of symbolic representations: the number of sacraments, the seven days of creation, the seven virtues, the seven deadly sins and the seven days it took Mary and Joseph to reach Bethlehem before Jesus was born.

Seven dishes, one feast

Create your own Italian-American holiday meal on Dec. 24 with these seven delicious dishes inspired by La Vigilia. 

1. Whole roasted fish: A beautifully plated whole fish with lemon and herb garnish.

2 Seafood pasta: Pasta with shrimp, mussels and tomato-based sauce.

3. Anchovy crostini: Toasted bread topped with anchovies and parsley.

4. Grilled fish with green olive salsa: Fillets garnished with a green olive and herb mixture.

5. Fried seafood fritters: Calamari or another type of battered and fried seafood, served with a dipping sauce.

6. Octopus salad: A fresh salad with chopped octopus, cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs.

7. Aioli: A creamy white sauce with chives for dipping fried or grilled seafood. 

Panettone, the Christmas cake of Milan

The origin of Panettone dates back to 1495. During a lavish Christmas banquet hosted by the Duke of Milan, the original dessert was accidentally burnt. In a quick, creative save, a young cook named Toni crafted a rich, brioche-like bread studded with raisins and candied fruit. The Duke loved it, and so the tradition of “Pane di Toni” — or Toni’s bread — was born. Today, Panettone is known for its light, airy texture and rich, buttery flavor, typically filled with dried fruits and candied peels, making it a beloved holiday dessert.