Holiday season brings good business for local seafood shop

December 24, 2017 4:53 pm

By: Chloe Leshner

cleshner@abc6.com

@cleshnerabc6

NORTH PROVIDENCE (WLNE) — The holidays are all about traditions for many families and for some that even includes what’s for dinner tonight. One local business thrives this week every year, selling exactly what Italian-Americans eat on Christmas Eve.

Many people were hard at work in the kitchen today, preparing the Feast of the 7 Fishes, a tradition that keeps Captain’s Catch in North Providence busy every Christmas season.

For many, it wouldn’t be an Italian-American Christmas Eve without seafood.

"Shrimp, that’s why I’m here, and snail salad," says Paula Miller of Lincoln.

"We do a lot of calamari, we do the big stuffed shrimp, we do the baked stuffed lobsters. It’s the 7 fishes for Christmas Eve," says Mickey Macera of Cranston.

A tradition that makes December 23rd and 24th the busiest and best for business at Captain’s Catch.

"People were lined up down the sidewalk this morning and yesterday morning even in the rain, I thought they’d slow down but they didn’t," says Mark Castelli, the owner of Captain’s Catch.

Castelli has been selling thousands of pounds of fish for the last 35 Christmases, making sure each and every customer has exactly what they need for the Feast of the 7 Fishes.

"The smelts, the squid, the baccala just like the song says, those are the big ones," says Castelli.

The shopping trip itself, part of the tradition.

"I come here every year for all my fishes," says Macera.

The days leading up to the holiday require all hands on deck, Castelli calling on friends and family to get behind the counter. The hard work making their eventual Christmas dinner even more enjoyable

"I told my daughter the other day boy I’m tired I have to feed 5000 families for one dinner and she looked at me and said well Jesus did it," he jokes.

While the tradition is obviously still very strong, Castelli says the fishes people buy have changed over the years.