Baklava is always present on Albanian tables on New Year’s Day.  Its taste adds sweetness to the celebration. Per tradition, Albanian grandmothers begin preparing the dough long before the long-awaited day and maintain that a piece of baklava should be eaten by all in order to have a lucky year ahead.

It is common to see women carrying large pans with the freshly-prepared baklava to a nearby bakery. This is one of a few old practices that have withstood the test of time. “My oven is not big enough. The bakery will take care of this,” said Valentina Karaj, 65, who has prepared her own baklava every year since her marriage 36 years ago.

When asked why baklava plays such an important role in the New Year’s celebrations, she simply replies “We have always done it this way. I cannot imagine New Year’s Day without baklava. It fills my house and I feel good when I serve this dessert to the guests because it honours me.”

Albanian desserts differ by region but baklava is available everywhere, in every corner of country. It is part of the tradition that women brag about who has created the most delicious and impressive baklava.  

In addition, baklava has spiritual connotations in the country. People say that it brings good luck and unites people. Generally speaking, Albanian families come together on New Year’s Day as children and other family members who may live farther away join them. Due to the large number of those present, large pans of baklava are prepared. They can contain as many as 80-90 layers of dough rolled out flat.

Once rolled out, the layers of dough are put out to dry. Usually the men in the family will take care of cracking and grinding the nuts, making the preparation of the baklava a family affair.

Demand for this dessert is high. “Baklava has always been an Albanian tradition, but it is true that the demands for it doubled this year,” said Vjollca Sulejmani, owner of the bakery Pasiçeri Parisi. Sulejmani has been taking orders for baklava for four years now. “Orders started coming in one month ago, and I cannot refuse even the last-minute ones,” she said.

Baklava is of Ottoman origin and is a staple of the country’s gastronomy. “It is the first dish on the menu we prepare for the New Year and is appreciated by Albanians and visitors alike,” said Dashamir Muçollari, owner of the prestigious restaurant Panorama Dajti.

Rajmond Çomanaj from Përmet, a city very much known in within the country for its cuisine, shares this opinion. He is the first chef at the prestigious Rogner Europapark Hotel. “Despite the Ottoman origin of baklava, I can say that this dessert is immaculately prepared by the Albanian women. There is not a single Albanian family who does not prepare it for New Year,” he said.