Bringing Seafood Into Your Holiday Traditions
For many families, the holidays are defined by tradition. The same recipes, the same table, the same dishes that appear year after year. While turkey, ham, and roast beef often take centre stage, seafood has long been a meaningful part of holiday celebrations across cultures, and for good reason.
Incorporating seafood into your holiday meals isn’t about replacing traditions. It’s about building on them.
A Tradition Shared Across Cultures and Coasts
Across the world, seafood plays a central role in holiday dining.
In Italian households, Christmas Eve is marked by the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a celebration centred on family, faith, and abundance. Scandinavian tables feature cured and smoked seafood, while in many Asian cultures, a whole fish symbolizes prosperity and togetherness.
On Canada’s East Coast, seafood has always been part of the holiday season. Lobster, crab, scallops, and shrimp aren’t reserved for restaurants or special occasions. They are woven into family gatherings, kitchen conversations, and tables crowded with people who linger long after the plates are cleared. For many East Coast families, seafood at the holidays feels as natural as the tide.
East Coast Holidays, The East Coast Way
East Coast holiday meals are rarely about formality. They are about generosity, simplicity, and feeding everyone who walks through the door.
Seafood often shows up as:
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Lobster or king crab shared around the table, cracked and passed family style
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Scallops or shrimp served simply, letting their natural flavour shine
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Dishes meant for conversation, not perfection
On the East Coast, great seafood has never been about overcomplicating things. When the product is good, you don’t need much to make it shine.
That often means warm butter, a little garlic, salt, and maybe a squeeze of lemon, and knowing when to stop.
Whether it is lobster tails dipped in drawn butter, king crab cracked at the table, scallops seared simply, or shrimp served hot and fresh, the focus is always on letting the seafood speak for itself. No heavy sauces. No distractions. Just honest flavours and shared plates.
It is a way of cooking that feels right for the holidays. Comforting, generous, and meant to be enjoyed together.
Adding Seafood Without Replacing What You Love
Seafood doesn’t need to take over the table to belong there. Often, it fits best alongside the dishes your family already knows and loves.
Many families introduce seafood as:
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A Christmas Eve tradition that sets the tone for the holiday
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A shared appetizer or first course, like shrimp or scallops
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A special centrepiece such as lobster tails or king crab, served when everyone is gathered
These moments feel special without feeling unfamiliar.
Creating New Traditions, One Dish at a Time
Some traditions are inherited. Others are created.
A platter of shrimp that appears every year. Lobster tails reserved for Christmas Eve. Scallops served on New Year’s Day. Over time, these dishes become expected and missed if they are not there.
Seafood has a way of anchoring those moments and turning meals into memories.
A Season for Gathering and Sharing
At its heart, the holidays are about coming together. Food is how we honour where we come from and make space for new traditions to grow.
By bringing seafood to your holiday table, you are connecting East Coast roots with celebrations across cultures while creating moments meant to be shared.
From our family to yours, we wish you a holiday season filled with warmth, generosity, and good food.
🦞The Lobster Mobsters