The Christmas season is full of festivities, and nobody knows Noel quite like the Italians who have some very special and merry ways of celebrating the holiday. If you’re looking to branch out this year, these charming Italian Christmas traditions should give you all the inspiration you need.

!. Feast of the Seven Fishes

In Italy, the Christmas Eve dinner is called the “feast of the seven fishes” and, as the name suggests, it’s a seven course meal featuring only seafood. Why no roast, you ask? Well, the meat-free tradition comes from the Roman Catholic custom of abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve in order to purify the body.