what are the seven fishes of christmas eve

The seven fishes of Christmas Eve are a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner consisting of seven different types of fish or seafood dishes. The exact dishes can vary, but they often include salt cod, eel, mackerel, baccalà, smelt, anchovies, and squid. Each dish represents a different symbol or meaning, such as the salt cod representing endurance and the eel representing fertility. The tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve is thought to date back to the Middle Ages when Catholics abstained from eating meat during the Advent season, which included Christmas Eve.