Photo: Carl Stevens/WBZ NewsRadio
REVERE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Christmas Eve means plenty of business for fish markets located in Italian American communities.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian American tradition where families get together the night before Christmas to eat a large seafood meal.
The tradition stems from the Roman Catholic custom of abstaining from meat on the eve of certain holidays.
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As a light snow fell outside the Pine River Fish Market in Revere on Christmas Eve morning, dozens of people lined up to buy their fish for the evening meal.
"I’m actually thrilled, it’s usually worse," said Cindy Parziale, a customer waiting in line.
When WBZ NewsRadio asked Parziale what she was getting, she answered, "Today, this year, I’m going to get baked stuffed lobsters, stuff them with seafood, scallops, and shrimp. Gonna get some crab legs. I already have some stuff at the house, but you need the lobsters today."
"In our family, it’s mostly shellfish. We do baccalà fritters, we do a calamari and octopus and scungilli salad," said Debbie, another customer.
As for keeping the tradition going, Debbie said, "It’s all I know, so I will continue, but my mother does most of it and she’s almost 90."
WBZ's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.