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We all know that it’s important to remember any anniversary, especially if it’s a significant one such as a wedding anniversary. It doesn’t matter if it’s big milestone such as celebrating ten years or just a simple first year together. It’s tradition for a couple to celebrate both the love they have for each other and the reminiscence of the good times.
The tradition of this dates back many years with some historians dating the origins back to medieval times where silver and gold gifts were given to each other as a way to celebrate 25 and 50 years of marriage. This has kept on going to this day where it is customary for the wife and husband to give each other something that relates to the milestone they have reached.
In the early 1900’s most people only celebrated the first year together and then the bigger anniversaries however in 1937 a list of materials that signify the year of marriage were produced by the National Retail Jewellery Association in the US. This covered all the years till 15 years of marriage. After this, they produced list of materials covering every 5th year.
There are now several different lists that you can look at and some companies have produced completely new lists as well as some simply adding to the previous ones. Now, people have several options to choose from when celebrating an occasion. For example, the 13th year anniversary is traditionally known for lace as a material to give but people can choose to opt for fur/textiles as an alternative.
Many choose to give more practical gifts in the early anniversary years, much like those added to a wedding gift list such as a new toaster, new cutlery and so on. This goes along with the tradition of helping couples getting set up in new homes. Later on, when you’re celebrating bigger milestones, more expensive gifts such as jewellery are given.
Below, you’ll find an outline of the materials/items which reflect the different anniversaries as well as gift ideas for these.
1st Wedding Anniversary – Paper
The first wedding anniversary is one which is celebrated by everyone, exactly one year after your special day it is traditional that a ‘paper’ themed gift is given. This paper gift or item is there to symbolise strength between you and your partner due to the interlocked fibres that are contained in a piece of paper. A more modern item is giving the gift of a clock, this goes along with the idea of timeless love that you have for your partner.
Many chose to give items such as a newspaper from the day of your wedding, a personalised notebook or photo album, a ticket to an event, or writing a poem.
2nd Wedding Anniversary – Cotton
Cotton is the traditional material associated with the 2nd wedding anniversary. This is because it has properties such as durability and prosperity, a more modern idea is to give china. Often people give items such as clothing maybe a personalised towel or if they are going for the modern look then a mug, plate or a china ornament.
3rd Wedding Anniversary – Leather
When it comes buying a gift for your third anniversary the tradition gift is leather. This signifies the durability of a young couple. Gifts such as a personalised wallet are very popular. For a more modern gift items such as crystal are often given, these include crystal tokens, crystal glassware, and vases.
If you are going to give your partner jewellery then opt for pearl or jade. The relevant colour theme is white or green, and associated flower is the Fuchsia (which means taste).
4th Wedding Anniversary – Fruit & Flowers
Four years mean that you have a blossoming relationship which is sure to be fruitful, and as such fruit or flowers are given. Popular gifts for this include a nice basket filled with fruits or a vase with his or her favourite flowers. In a more modern take people give electronics.
5th Wedding Anniversary – Wood
Wood is the traditionally theme for celebrating 5 years of marriage, this is a strong material and which lasts for a very long time and is the symbol of 5 years long marriage. Gift ideas include chopping boards, cheese boards, furniture and coasters.
10th Wedding Anniversary – Tin/Aluminium
Ten years is a well celebrated milestone and its theme is tin and aluminium, this signifies flexible and malleable properties which your relationship has proved to have. So many people will often buy gifts such as items in a tin or photo frames.
15th Wedding Anniversary – Crystal
Crystal is the material that is traditionally celebrated when you hit 15 years of marriage, a more modern take is a watch. Many people often buy crystal glass items such as a vase or crystal glassware such as a pair of champagne flutes.
20th Wedding Anniversary – China
Hitting twenty years is a brilliant milestone and one that often people throw parties, and go for a special meal to celebrate. The traditional material for this is China but people in today’s age often opt for platinum as a gift to celebrate.
25th Wedding Anniversary – Silver
Most people know that a silver wedding anniversary means 25 years of marriage and it is one of the most celebrated occasions, as you’d expect most people will give silver gifts, whether it’s a silver necklace, ring, photo frame, cufflinks or any other item as silver is as popular now as it has been over the last hundred or so years.
30th Wedding Anniversary – Pearl
When you hit 30 years of marriage most people will celebrate by giving pearls, or presents featuring pearls. This is easy to buy for the ladies as a pair of pearl earrings or a pearl necklace is something that is not too difficult to purchase.
40th Wedding Anniversary – Ruby
When 40 years have gone by since the day that you got married, there are big celebrations all round. This occasion is represented by giving gifts which relate to the material of ruby. Items such as a pair of champagne flutes with ruby Swarovski elements are a popular choice.
50th Wedding Anniversary – Gold
Whenever a couple hit the big 50 years of marriage, you sure want to celebrate in style, with it being known as the ‘golden’ wedding anniversary. It’s customary to buy something of gold origin, whether it’s a gold watch, gold bracelet, ring or necklace you’ll find that giving something personalised is a great idea.
60th Wedding Anniversary – Diamond
If you are celebrating 60 years together, then know this is a very impressive milestone and one that should be properly celebrated. The material associated with 60 year milestone are diamonds, so you’ll need to save a bit in time for the occasion so you can get something nice and shiny to celebrate the 60 years that you have spent together.
How to celebrate a wedding anniversary
Traditionally, most couples used to celebrate a wedding anniversary on their own or close family, however, people have moved to involve more family members and friends, throwing parties or going for a meal, depending on how many years the couple is celebrating.
Of course, the bigger the milestone the more likely it is that you’ll be wanting to throw a party, for instance celebrating 25 years together calls for a family celebration whereas 23 years together sounds more like a “nice dinner together” anniversary.
Often the parties that are thrown for couples are organised by the couple themselves or they are at least taking part in the preparations, and it’s rare to have a surprise one as some people don’t like celebrating wedding anniversaries with other people, considering it time for just the husband and wife to celebrate together.
It’s usually just the partners that buy each other gifts on their anniversary, however, for bigger milestones it’s often that close family also gets gifts for the couple to enjoy. It’s not recommended to give money as a gift but rather to buy something thoughtful.
Most important of all, when celebrating a wedding anniversary, is that the couple themselves are with each other, thinking about all the good times they have had together and looking forward to many more in the future.
