Favorite Christmas Tradition: Feast of the Seven Fishes

Each Christmas Eve for the last 24 years my family has celebrated the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It's one of my favorite things about the holiday season. For us it began as a huge party at one our our family's closest friend's house. All night there was family and friends coming and going. Coming from other family events, going to other family obligations, but everyone wanted to at least stop by the party. You just couldn't miss this night.

From start to finish there was food everywhere. Meats and cheeses, appetizers, food, beers, wine, of course sambuca (black licorice/anise taste still gross to me.) One of my favorite memories of the early years were the parents sitting around saying they were going around the world with each bottle of wine that was opened. Really it was mostly the dad's being loud and shouting, 'We're going to Spain. We're moving to France! We're back in Italy! " You get the idea.

This party was great. So many funny memories and stories come from all those years. When I was in 8th grade I was an altar server for the midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We naturally went to the party first, then we went to the mass that I was in. We all went to the mass, but only four of us stayed as my dad snuck out, and went back to the party before coming to pick us up. Looking back on it that's a legendary move on his part.

Over time as life happens and things change the crowd got slightly, I emphasize slightly, smaller. The party got moved from that house to a great little restaurant in northeast Philly called Cafe Michaelangelo. It was a place a few of them had been going to for dinner for years, so they got the whole hookup. We took over the entire main dining room for the night. So many courses of food were brought out you couldn't even imagine another thing could possibly fit in your stomach. This went strong for close to a decade at Michaelangelo, then the people who were kids when this tradition started began having kids of their own. Trying to wrangle an overtired and overstimulated toddler was tough. Then COVID threw another wrench in and changed things again. The crowds split and people began to sort of do their own thing.

As more kids came the more difficult it would be to enjoy the night how it used to be. So we continued the tradition in much smaller size and now do it at my sisters house. It's our parents, the siblings, significant others and our kids. It's still a great night of food and wine and desserts with family. Maybe when the kids are all a bit older the whole group gets together for another banger of a Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve... because TRADITION!

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated with a blend of family, food, and traditions, some of which are deeply rooted in history. But, if you think this holiday is all about the turkey and pumpkin pie, you're in for a surprise. There are also some more unique and unexpected customs that have found their way into the Thanksgiving celebration.

Over time, families and close-knit groups of friends often create their unique Thanksgiving customs, which they observe annually. Many families engage in acts of giving back by volunteering at local food banks or shelters, to share their good fortune with those in need. Some base their day around the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a tradition since 1924. Then, there's the age-old custom of partaking in or watching a friendly game of touch football with friends and family. It has also become synonymous with Thanksgiving, creating opportunities for connection and fun.

Despite the presence of commonly practiced annual traditions, there are some customs that may strike certain people as unusual. For instance, consider the annual Presidential Turkey Pardon, officially known as the "National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation."  On Thanksgiving Day, the President extends clemency to a specially selected turkey, sparing it from becoming the centerpiece of a meal and ensuring that it lives out its days freely on a farm.

According to the National Turkey Federation, this tradition started in 1947 when President Harry Truman received a live turkey from them. In 1963, President Kennedy returned the gift from the National Turkey Federation to its farm of origin, according to the White House website. Sometime during the Nixon administration, the President began sending the turkey to a petting farm near Washington after the receiving ceremony and photos, although no formal pardon was given. President George H.W. Bush offered the first actual turkey pardon. On November 14, 1989, he declared that year's turkey had "been granted a presidential pardon as of right now."

But this is just the start when it comes to unusual Thanksgiving customs. Check out the following list for even more unique and eccentric traditions associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.

Frozen turkey bowling is as straightforward as it sounds: Instead of using conventional bowling balls and pins, participants roll frozen turkeys toward rows of soda bottles. According to a report by People magazine in 1988, it was Derrick Johnson, a grocery clerk at a Lucky's grocery store in Newport Beach, who is credited with the inception of turkey bowling. Johnson recalled witnessing a store manager accidentally knocking down a soda bottle while sliding a turkey across the floor, sparking the idea. Additionally, he took on the role of commissioner for the Poultry Bowlers Association and initiated the sport's organization.

Surprisingly, there are people who opt for unconventional fillings when preparing their turkey, such as cereal. A quick online search reveals a plethora of recipes featuring non-traditional stuffing. These range from crackers and waffles to pretzels, grapes, and nuts.

Some people gather to challenge the limits of distance and altitude by launching frozen turkeys. In fact, a group of college students in Indiana took this to the next level in the early 2000s. They came up with the plan of dressing a frozen turkey in a onesie, securing it to a chain, saturating it with lighter fluid, igniting it, and then flinging it across a football field.

Thanksgiving feasts are often so filling that many families take a post-dinner stroll to make room for dessert. It's like taking the "I work out so I can eat" mantra to a whole new level. Of course, packing up leftovers for later is an option. But the post-feast walk is a fun tradition for those who can't resist the temptation of that pumpkin pie.

A family drew inspiration from the typical Thanksgiving customs and introduced their own unique tradition. As an X user shared, their kid initiated a comical Thanksgiving tradition by "roasting" everyone at the table. The idea was that since they roast a turkey, why not extend the roasting to the family members too. Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?