Why some Polish families keep a live carp in the tub before Christmas
https://matadornetwork.com/read/live-carp-tradition-wigilia/
You can thank the Roman Catholic church for this fishy custom: Christmas Eve was traditionally considered a day of fasting, and devotees were not permitted to eat meat. Seafood, however, was entirely permissible, and over the years, Christmas Eve dinners evolved to include fish as the main course. Carp is the most popular choice in Eastern European countries like Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, as well as Germany and Croatia.
Having been stationed in Germany I knew about the carp at Christmas. I have a friend who is a serious outdoorsman as am I. He said he has tried everything to cook carp. Everything from soaking it in milk before hand, deep-fried, baked, seared in a pan with onions… He said every way he cooked it it just tasted like dirt! Color me out!
I do miss my childhood....things have never been the same....