Thursday, December 21,

More on "The Feast of the How Many Fishes?" ?????

The ANNOTICO Report

 

In an earlier Report , I stated:

 

How Many Fishes are to be included in "The Feast of the Fishes"??

Is it Seven, or  Eight, or Nine, Thirteen, or Twenty two???????

 

Ok, there will probably be more variations, and this article includes the Number Twelve, The number of Apostles minus Judas. :)

 

 

Seven Fish Feast

An Italian Holiday Tradition

 

The Day, New London CT

December 20,2006

 

On Christmas Eve, Italy's Roman Catholics - and now many Italians and Italian-Americans in general - celebrate with a feast of fish that probably dates to the fifth or sixth century.

The celebration is rooted in the Catholic tradition of eschewing meat on various days of the year. What's less clear is when or why the number of courses was set at seven.

Some scholars and cooks say it is for the seven sacraments. Or for the seven sins. Or virtues. Perhaps for the seven days of the creation story. Or for Mary and Joseph's seven-day journey to Bethlehem.

"All of these types of holidays tend to have a lot of bad folklore around them," said dining historian Carolin Young. "Five different towns will claim they created it."

Eel is a mainstay of the meal for Romans, and the traditional salted cod known as baccala is widely eaten as part of the meal. But that's where predictability ends. Anything from humble smelts and sardines to lobster and caviar might make an appearance.

Adding to the confusion, seven is sometimes just a starting point. Many families cook nine fish (the Holy Trinity times three), 11 (the 12 Apostles minus Judas), or 13 (the Apostles plus Jesus). Others simply stop counting once they hit seven.

Families with smaller appetites often try to include several fish in a single dish. Busy schedules and long distances have forced many families to streamline the tradition. Regardless of how it's prepared, families say the feast's main job is to offer an annual reunion, and to keep the culture alive.

Here is a suggested menu for four people for a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, courtesy of Carmelo D'Aprile, executive chef of Grappolo Locanda restaurant in Chappaqua, N.Y. 

http://www.theday.com/re_txt.aspx?re=

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