Kokina: Turkey’s symbolic holiday flower
ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkey’s Kokina flower, also known as butcher’s broom, is a traditional and symbolic plant in Turkey.
It is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year. The flower has become a common gift or decoration during the holiday season. It is particularly popular around the New Year as a decorative item.
"That flower reminds us of the beginning of the year. It is a ritual to bring luck and we buy it every year for our loved ones. I bought one for a friend who I am going to meet," Aysun Kilickaya, a resident of Istanbul, told Rudaw.
Kokina is handmade, it’s a mixture of butcher’s broom and smilax excelsa.
The red berries are carefully attached by hand to the spiky green stems of the butcher's broom, creating the vibrant and festive Kokina.
"It emerges once a year. It reminds me of New Year. It's called Kokina and it's a flower of luck. Our customers make a wish and think their wishes will be fulfilled," Erdogan Cayirci, another resident of the city, said.
The belief that the flower brings good luck has significantly increased business for local vendors in Istanbul.
It is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year. The flower has become a common gift or decoration during the holiday season. It is particularly popular around the New Year as a decorative item.
"That flower reminds us of the beginning of the year. It is a ritual to bring luck and we buy it every year for our loved ones. I bought one for a friend who I am going to meet," Aysun Kilickaya, a resident of Istanbul, told Rudaw.
Kokina is handmade, it’s a mixture of butcher’s broom and smilax excelsa.
The red berries are carefully attached by hand to the spiky green stems of the butcher's broom, creating the vibrant and festive Kokina.
"It emerges once a year. It reminds me of New Year. It's called Kokina and it's a flower of luck. Our customers make a wish and think their wishes will be fulfilled," Erdogan Cayirci, another resident of the city, said.
The belief that the flower brings good luck has significantly increased business for local vendors in Istanbul.