CHRISTMAS

“The reason behind the use of fish . . . is simple: Christmas Eve is a vigilia di magro, in other words, a day of abstinence in which the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of meat.” 

Read more here . . . La Vigilia Napoletana

Seems the tradition is to make seven kinds of fish on Christmas Eve. Though we didn’t go to that extreme, my family did make several fish dishes.  I can remember my mother’s brother, my Uncle Joe, coming over and helping my mother to bread and fry the shrimp. There would also be tomato sauce with shrimp or crab served over pasta. Sometimes there was fried flounder, or baccala which is salted codfish dipped in batter and fried, or cooked in tomato sauce. Then there was the antipasto (or anti-pasta which means before the pasta), the broccoli rabe which was sauteed with a little garlic, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper. (Broccoli rabe can be eaten hot or cold, as a side dish, or on a sandwich, using crusty Italian bread of course.)  Then there was the zeppoles, fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar, another Christmas Eve tradition. There were other dishes and it was feasting, not fasting!  I can still see my mother in the kitchen making all the preparations. The sad part of all this is that while we were supposedly celebrating the birth of Christ, none of us knew Christ, nor knew the word of God.  Don’t think we even had a Bible in the house.  But praise be to God, in my late 30’s I was born again and began to witness to my mother.  You can read the whole story at this link here . . . MY MOM. After many years of witnessing, and many struggles, my mother came to the Lord.  She is with Him now.  But how many others are still celebrating the “birth of Christ” without knowing Him. If you are born again, love a Roman Catholic this holiday season by sharing the Gospel with them.  Who knows, it may result in their receiving the greatest gift ever, the gift of  . . .  SALVATION.