![Iraqis prepare pastries known as Kleicha ahead of the Eid al-Fitr Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan, on June 14th, 2018 at a pastry shop in Baghdad. [Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP]](/cnmi_di/images/2018/06/15/13127-iraq-eid-sweets-700_496.webp)
Muslims worldwide on Friday (June 15th) began celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which is typically celebrated by feasting and gift-giving.
In Iraq, pastry shops were busy preparing the popular Kleicha cookie -- a combination of gently spiced dough with a cardamom and fennel-infused date filling -- days ahead of Eid. Many Iraqis celebrate the holiday by buying new clothes and giving gifts to children, who treat themselves with new and elaborate haircuts.
On Friday, Iraqis flocked to mosques for special morning worship marking the first day of the holiday, after which they headed to the cemeteries to visit the graves of relatives in another Eid tradition.
