Every year, on Christmas Eve, many families across the US gather for the Feast of Seven Fishes. Although it is unclear exactly when the grand seafood feast became popular in America, it is considered one of the most popular Italian traditions in the nation. “Wait,” You may ask, “Seven fishes? That can’t be right. Is that like in The Godfather when they say ‘Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes’?”

Sure, “fish” usually serves as both singular and plural, but when talking about several different species of fish, it is grammatically correct to use the word “fishes.” That’s just what the Feast of Seven Fishes is, a grand meal, in seven courses, with lots of different species of fish lined up to the benefit of our palates. Typically each course could feature a different type of fish, or there could be several dishes made from two or three different fishes.