From piles of oysters at Christmas markets to the December 24th banquet, fish and seafood is big news in France over Christmas. The December 25th meal varies quite a bit from region to region and many French families just eat whatever they like with no particularly regard for tradition. Oysters are a big Christmas tradition in France and there will generally be at least one oyster stall at most Christmas markets for a festive snack. In the Catholic Church it was traditional for people to ether fast or eat a simple meal before feast days and that meant eating no meat. So while to modern eyes it might look like the sort of spread a Russian oligarch would sit down to, in fact your Christmas Eve fish feast represents a simple and humble meal.

Source: The Local December 06, 2019 12:56 UTC