TIMES RECORD • December 7, 2023
It’s easy to love the Feast of the Seven Fishes when you live in Maine and have access to an amazing variety of seafood — even in December. The significance of fish in this feast stems in part from Catholic traditions such as not eating meat on Friday or, in this case, on Christmas Eve, “La Vigilia” in Italian. The holiday is thought to have started amongst families from southern Italy immigrating to America who sought to continue to find ways to celebrate their seaside heritage. Holidays are all about traditions, and they often involve good food. Learning about these types of feasts is an easy way to be introduced to new cultures and to discover a new way to enjoy the local foods. This holiday season, don’t forget the fishes. ~ Susan Olcott