HW 34: Date Palms and Tea

“Dhuluaya is an area near Sammara, which is north of Baghdad. It’s an area popular for its wonderful date palms, citrus trees, and grape vines. The majority of the people who live in the area are simple landowners who have been making a living off of the orchards they’ve been cultivating for decades.” (Riverbend, 103) There are over 500 different types of palm trees in Iraq, some are short and some are stocky. A date tree never fails to bring a sense of satisfaction, they are the pride and joy of Iraq farmers and landowners says Riverbend. They are a huge part of their culture; no garden is a garden if it doesn’t have a palm tree. Not only are the decorative but they act as homes for birds during the winter that fly to Iraq. In Iraq there are over 300 different types of dates, each one has its own specific name, texture, and flavor. Some may be dark brown and soft while others are bright yellow and crunchy. (Riverbend, 104) These trees are just another example of something that has been taken away from the Iraqi people, soon after occupation many of the palms on the streets were cut down by the troops for “security reasons.”
In Iraq most families gather together in the evening for their “evening tea.” It seems to be away for the people to relax in a casual way, no matter how busy or stressful the day everybody is always gathered around waiting for their tea. “If you serve a teabag tea to an Iraqi, you risk scorn and disdain a teabag is an insult to tea connoisseurs. It speaks of a complete lack of appreciation for the valuable beverage” (Riverbend, 108) Families sit gathered around a small coffee table wit ha tray of tea and something to eat such as biscuits or bread and cheese. One person is known to pour the tea and they are the ones to add sugar. In Riverbend family dad gets two spoons of sugar along with Riverbend. E gets three and mom gets one. They discuss the events of the day and what is going on with the troops, things that they should be aware of. I think that many Americans also have traditions such as the Iraqi “evening tea” for us it may be our family dinner where the family gathers together and talks about everybody’s day.