Holiday Restaurant Tradition: ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’

Every culture has its holiday traditions. But one particular to the Italian-American community–particularly in the Northeast–is eating seafood on Christmas Eve, widely known as “Feast of the Seven Fishes.”

And plenty of restaurants get in on the fun, particularly those with an Italian or seafood bent. In New York, you’ll find SD26 serving their “Vigilia di Natale,” Christmas Eve traditional fish dinner, on December 23 and 24, with a host of seafood antipasti, pastas, and secondi. Hearth, in the East Village, offers a full seven-course meal, all highlighting seafood (except, of course, for dessert.)

And proving that traditions don’t only come one day a year, at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, “La Vigilia” lasts all month, with seafood specials including octopus with fennel and tangerine, fennel-cured salmon, and ceci and bottarga.