The ancient tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic custom of abstinence from meat and dairy products on the eve of certain holidays, including Christmas. The number seven is rooted back in ancient times and it can be connected to multiple Catholic symbols: in fact, the seven seems repeated more than 700 times in the Bible. Also, according to the Roman Catholic Church, seven are the sacraments, the days of the Creation, as well as the deadly sins. Hence seven courses!
Flash forward to the early 1900s, when the official “Feast of the Seven Fishes” first emerged. Italian-American families rekindled the Old Country’s Christmas Eve tradition by preparing a seven-course seafood meal (hence the name of the newly found tradition) that both made them feel close to their homes, while celebrating the sea, a major connection in Italy.
Locally Giovanni’s will be hosting the Feast of Seven Fishes on Monday, December 9th:
1st Course- Creamy Crab Soup
2nd Course – Seafood Salad
3rd Course – Traditional Mussels
4th Course – Creamy Shrimp & Crawfish Pasta
5th Course – Mediterranean Topped Sea Bass
6th Course – Chocolate Surprise
*Each Course Includes Wine Pairing
Tickets are $64.95 and can be reserved by calling (937) 878-1611
Giovanni’s Pizzeria é Ristorante Italiano
215 W Main St.
Fairborn, OH 45324
Carrabba’s Italian Grill is offering a five-course feast fit for the king of the sea on Wednesday, December 18th at 6:30pm
CALAMARI
Hand-breaded calamari served with house-made marinara sauce
Paired with Riondo Prosecco
MUSSELS WITH SAUSAGE AND TOMATO BROTH
Prince Edward Island mussels served in a spicy tomato broth with Mr. C’s special blend of fennel sausage
Paired with Decoy Chardonnay by Duckhorn
LINGUINE FRUTTI DI MARE
Sautéed linguine topped with shrimp, scallops, mussels and white fish in rich marinara sauce
Paired with Imagery Sauvignon Blanc
GROUPER CAPPERI & LOBSTER RAVIOLI
Grouper fillet coated with Italian breadcrumbs, wood-fire grilled and topped with lemon butter, roasted grape tomatoes, capers and basil. Served with lobster ravioli in wine cream sauce and Italian green beans
Paired with Antica Chardonnay
CANNOLI
Crisp pastry shell stuffed in-house with sweet ricotta and chocolate chip filling, topped with pistachios and powdered sugar
Paired with Rosatello Moscato
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
900 Miamisburg Centerville Rd
Washington Township, OH 45459-6554
937-438-9690