It isn’t the Feast of Seven Fishes just yet, but we have officially begun the period of Advent during which some people around the world practice some form of fasting — one of those being the abstinence of eating meat, which leads to a greater consumption of fish.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is the culmination of those many weeks of not eating meat and features a bounty of seafood served on Christmas Eve ahead of the Christmas Day feast, which features meat. There are many components to the religious significance of this practice that I know only a little about, not being Catholic myself, and therefore not abiding by these traditions except to get excited for any reason to eat more seafood.

While it is not yet the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Friday is another holiday in the Advent season: the Feast of Saint Nicholas. St. Nicholas (yes, St. Nick like Santa Claus) is known as the bringer of gifts and, as such, is known to leave presents for children. One tradition is for children to leave a shoe out for him to tuck a treat of some kind into. This is, of course, why I know of this holiday, as any pre-Christmas means of getting a present is popular at my house. However, children who have been naughty this year might expect a shoe full of hay instead of candy.

In addition to the expectation of a gift, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in a wide variety of ways throughout the world. Some of these involve seafood. In Bulgaria, for example, people gather for a traditional meal of ribnik — carp wrapped in dough. In the Netherlands, the connection to the sea isn’t through food but rather is through the anticipated arrival of Sinterklaas by water. Instead of arriving on a sleigh, Santa comes by boat from Spain. And naughty children aren’t merely given a shoe full of hay but instead are stuffed into sacks and taken back to Spain by boat!

Although I’m a great lover of seafood, I have to admit that I’m not likely to eat dough-wrapped carp for Friday’s dinner. I’ll opt instead for something more local.

Following the themes of Advent — hope, peace, love and joy for each of the four weeks of the season — it is my hope that the weeks leading up to Christmas will be a celebration of many things, from religion to family to food. And I hope that a bit of that food will include some of the amazing seafood we are fortunate to have here in Maine.

I also hope that many people will find a reason to celebrate the Feast of Seven Fishes. It could be on Christmas Eve in the way that my family does, as a way to enjoy lots of tasty seafood, rather than as a religious restriction. We typically cheat a little and put the many types (maybe not quite seven) into a stew of sorts, but there are many ways to try it for yourself. There are also many great opportunities to enjoy the creations of chefs through offerings at local restaurants celebrating the holiday.

Whatever the case, I hope you will consider finding a way to incorporate a bit of seafood into your pre-holiday season this year. Otherwise, who knows, you might wind up with a shoe full of hay or an unexpected boat ride.

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.