Locals start to craft Christmas wreaths for export

ANTALYA

With the new year around the corner, the southern province of Antalya’s local female producers have embarked on an intensive endeavor to transform pine residues, pine cones and juniper berries collected from forest-cutting areas into Christmas wreaths for export to 20 countries.

Commencing on Dec. 24 in the Christian tradition, Christmas and New Year celebrations often feature Christmas wreaths as decorative elements for doors and dining tables, as well as a popular choice during religious rituals and cemetery visits, while Türkiye garnered revenue of $9 million from the export of these wreaths last year.

In a facility that employs 100 individuals, comprising women and product collectors from forest villages, hundreds of Christmas wreaths are produced daily. The wreaths handcrafted by these women are exported overseas, fetching prices ranging from 1 to 3 euros.

Şerife Altındal, the owner of the company, stated that they engage in intensive work from the end of October to the first week of December each year.

"I started in this industry 23 years ago. I began with around 20 women, and now nearly 100 women are involved in the production. We have achieved an annual production of 200,000 items. We started exporting products made from unused pinecones, tree branches and other leftovers from the forest,” Altındal explained.

Altındal also expressed her expectation that this year's exports will exceed $10 million.