On Christmas Eve (La Vigilia), Italians traditionally abstain from eating meat before attending Midnight Mass, leading to a massive multi-course seafood feast. Known globally as the Feast of the Seven Fishes, this dinner features local specialties like baccalà (salted cod), marinated eel, octopus salad, and linguine with clams. The exact number of dishes varies by region, but the gathering focuses heavily on family, slow dining, and preparing the palate for the rich meat dishes that follow on Christmas Day.
