This week, I was asked for suggestions on what kind of gift would be appropriate for a third wedding anniversary. I gave it a lot of careful consideration. What does the customary present consist of? I had no idea, which is why I’m posting about it today.
During the middle ages, significant anniversaries like the 25th and 50th were the only ones worthy of celebration. The custom of presenting presents to a married couple on their wedding anniversary and other milestones most likely originated in central Europe. When a wife in medieval Germany had been married to her husband for a quarter of a century and five years, her friends would traditionally give her a wreath made of silver as a token of their congratulations. The silver represented the harmony that was thought to be essential in order to have a successful marriage that lasted for such a long period of time. On the occasion of their fifty-year wedding anniversary, the husband gave their wife a golden wreath as a gift. Hence arose ‘silver wedding’ and ‘golden wedding.’ This method, which was adopted by the Germans and refined in more recent times, was originally practiced by the Germans.
Prior to the 1930s, not all wedding anniversaries were celebrated with material that represented the year of the event. Only the first anniversary and certain milestone anniversaries, such as the tenth, twenty-fifth, twenty-fifth, fifty-first, and seventieth, included a suggestion for a material present. It is unknown why position 50 was so far off from position 70 on the list. Despite this, the list has been kept current and brought up to date through a variety of techniques as time has passed.
In the early years of a marriage, it is customary for the newlyweds to give one another or receive presents from family and friends in the form of useful household products. These presents are intended to assist the pair in establishing their home. Gifts of luxury were presented to the couple in their later years, when it was presumed that they already possessed the majority of the goods they required. The couple’s devotion to one another grows stronger with the passage of each year they spend together; the cumulative amount of time they have spent together is irreplaceable. Each anniversary has its own unique tangible and symbolic significance that is represented to commemorate the occasion. The emblems for the wedding anniversary begin very simply, with paper and cotton, and progressively grow more substantial and valuable through the years. It’s possible that the order of presents will reflect the amount of time that the couple has invested in their relationship during the course of their marriage, as well as the progressive strengthening of their bond. The pessimists will, of course, claim that because we’ve put up with one other for such a long time, we have earned a lavish reward.
I personally am going to add a 33rd year to the list, and I’m going to celebrate with a luxurious vacation.
There is a list of conventional wedding anniversary gifts and another one that contains more contemporary ideas for wedding anniversary gifts. There is some duplication between the two, such as the fact that the silver designation is given to the 25th anniversary on both lists while the gold designation is given to the 50th anniversary.
The following is how the lists should read for your reference:
Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year
| 1 | Paper |
| 2 | Cotton |
| 3 | Leather |
| 4 | Linen or Silk |
| 5 | Wood |
| 6 | Iron |
| 7 | Copper |
| 8 | Bronze |
| 9 | Pottery |
| 10 | Tin |
| 11 | Steel |
| 12 | Silk |
| 13 | Lace |
| 14 | Ivory |
| 15 | Crystal |
| 20 | China |
| 25 | Silver |
| 30 | Pearl |
| 40 | Ruby |
| 50 | Gold |
| 60 | Diamond |
Modern Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year
| 1 | Clock |
| 2 | China |
| 3 | Crystal |
| 4 | Appliances |
| 5 | Silverware |
| 6 | Wood |
| 7 | Desk Sets |
| 8 | Lace |
| 9 | Leather |
| 10 | Diamond Jewelry |
| 11 | Costume Jewelry |
| 12 | Pearls |
| 13 | Fur |
| 14 | Gold Jewelry |
| 15 | Watch |
| 20 | Platinum |
| 25 | Silver |
| 30 | Diamond |
| 40 | Ruby |
| 50 | Gold |
| 60 | Diamond |
Before my father passed away, my parents had been married for a total of 61 years. What a fantastic accomplishment this is.
The paper present given on the first anniversary may appear uninteresting at first glance; however, the uses for paper are virtually limitless. Tickets to the couple’s preferred venue, be it a theater, night club, opera, or other event space. A shot taken by a skilled and experienced photographer. a gift voucher of any kind, or even just a subscription to one of your favorite magazines.
Wedding Anniversary Flowers by Year
In addition to that, there is a list of flowers that are said to represent each year, but I’m not sure how widely known this is.
| 1 | Carnation |
| 2 | Lily of the Valley |
| 3 | Sunflower |
| 4 | Hydrangea |
| 5 | Daisy |
| 6 | Calla Lily |
| 7 | Freesia |
| 8 | Lilac |
| 9 | Bird of Paradise |
| 10 | Daffodil |
| 11 | Tulip |
| 12 | Peony |
| 13 | Chrysanthemum |
| 14 | Dahlia |
| 15 | Rose |
| 20 | Aster |
| 25 | Iris |
| 30 | Lily |
| 40 | Gladiolas |
| 50 | Yellow Rose |
What Are the Common Wedding Anniversary Traditions?
Celebrations of an anniversary of a wedding are a way to acknowledge the passage of time as a married pair continues to spend their lives together. An anniversary party, in contrast to a wedding, which honors the beginning of something new, is designed to bring the couple closer together as they recognize the passing of another year of their marriage. One approach to accomplish this is to incorporate some of the more frequent customs associated with wedding anniversaries into the celebrations.
- Gifts
The giving of presents that are symbolic of the year of the couple’s wedding anniversary is one of the most well-known and widespread of all wedding anniversary traditions. For instance, the first anniversary is typically celebrated by giving each other gifts made of paper. Cotton presents are customarily given on the second anniversary.
Of course, just like any other worthwhile custom, they can be modernized throughout time. A contemporary gift list is also available in addition to the more traditional one. Continuing with the same examples as before, the traditional present for the first anniversary is a clock, whereas the present for the second anniversary is china. It is acceptable to select a present from either the traditional gift list or the modern gift list. Choosing a present from either list is fine.
- Cakes
Cake Having a cake for the wedding anniversary is another fairly popular practice that is observed. It is common practice to construct the cake in the tiered fashion of a wedding cake, however this is not required. Cakes are a common feature at parties and other festivities, but at a wedding anniversary party, they frequently serve a function not dissimilar to that which they did at the wedding itself. As part of the traditions associated with their wedding anniversary, the couple will cut the cake and then serve it to each other.
When celebrating significant anniversaries, it is a very sweet gesture to order a cake that is styled after the couple’s wedding cake and serve it. The moment of the wedding can be brought together with the celebration of the anniversary in a very unique and meaningful way by using this approach.
- Customs Unique to the Individual
Even if the traditions described above are unquestionably unique and significant, the personal traditions that each individual marriage and family develops over the course of their lives are of an even greater significance. These individual rituals will go down in the family as cherished memories, not only for the couple but also for their children and grandchildren. The following are some illustrations:
Relive the Day: One couple marked each anniversary of their marriage by devoting some time to looking at photographs from the ceremony. They would take the time to really reflect on the day and talk about the moments that stood out the most to each of them. These days, many newlyweds record their wedding ceremonies on video, so they can actually view the tape, or at least a portion of it, on each of their anniversaries.
Pictures: Another couple decided very early on in their marriage to make it a point to document the passage of time by having a professional photograph taken on or around the anniversary of their wedding. They hung the images on a single wall in a corridor, and each year they added one new painting to the collection. Simply taking a stroll down the hall allows guests to get a glimpse of the happy couple at any point in time, from the moment they first met to the present day.
Your own personal traditions might be anything, from the ridiculous to the significant. The significance of a tradition lies not so much in the ritual itself, but rather in the knowledge that at least one aspect of the celebration of each subsequent wedding anniversary will remain the same.
You will be able to bring the years together by following the same rituals every year on your wedding anniversary.
