Iraqis keep tradition alive with homemade Kleicha pastries for Eid

Record ID: 1986938

  • Title: Iraqis keep tradition alive with homemade Kleicha pastries for Eid
  • Date: 28th March 2025
  • Summary: BASRA, IRAQ (MARCH 26, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF IRAQI WOMEN MAKING KLEICHA KLEICHA PLACED ON BAKING TRAY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IRAQI CITIZEN, INAS GHAZI, SAYING: "There is no Eid without Eid Kleicha (traditional pastry), as Eid Kleicha symbolizes the joy and aroma of Eid. The smell of Kleicha is the smell of Eid. Just as we prepare clothes and clean the house, having Eid
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: DATES DESSERT EID FLOUR IRAQ KLIJA RAMADAN
  • Location: BASRA, IRAQ
  • City: BASRA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001211127032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Iraqi families keep Eid al-Fitr tradition alive by baking Kleicha at home, despite modern confectionery options.
    A traditional date-filled pastry, Kleicha holds deep cultural meaning and offers a heartfelt connection among family members.
    By making Kleicha together, some Iraqi women explained, families strengthen bonds, passing recipes down through generations, and preserving cultural customs.
    The practice celebrates Iraq's rich culinary heritage, ensuring that traditional customs remain central to the Eid festivities.
    Kleicha is deeply rooted in Iraqi tradition. Despite the convenience and allure of contemporary sweets, numerous households across the nation uphold the custom of making these pastries themselves.
    Families gather in kitchens, where the aromatic smell of homemade dough and dates fills the air, marking the occasion with joy and traditions every year.
    A shared heritage throughout the Arab world, Kleicha is believed to be one of the most ancient sweets in the Middle East, with variations in the recipe that reflect the different countries' traditions.
    (Production: Mohammed Atti, Maher Nazeh, Mohammed Benmansour)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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