The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a New York Tradition

I'm all for left of center when it comes to just about everything. My personality precludes me from keeping the norm and swimming with the fishes.

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Speaking of the fishes, one of my favorite holiday traditions is rooted in Italian-American culture. Festa dei sette pesci or the Feast of the Seven Fishes is typically served on Christmas Eve and consists of fish and seafood dishes. Also served are pastas, vegetables, breads, and wine.

As the name implies, seven different seafood dishes are served. The feast traces its roots back to Southern Italy, and coincides with the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. It's in line with the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on the night before a feast. The reason for eating exactly seven examples of fish is unknown and often debated.

I've taken part in a couple of examples of the feast. When I was a teenager, I would spend Christmas Eve at my dear friend Peter's house. His family was a mixture of French Canadian and Italian ancestry. The Italian side would take great pride in this meal, and while I only remember a couple of the dishes, I firmly remember how stuffed yet joyous we all were at its conclusion.

While the number of dishes to be served is seven, there are many different permutations to choose from. If I were in charge, my feast would look kind of like the following: clams casino, fried calamari, Spanish style octopus, cod in tomato sauce, scungili salad, sauteed scallops, and baked stuffed lobsters.

If you think you're up to the challenge of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, here are 53 (!) recipes to inspire you from Epicurious.

Buon Natale!