Wedding Anniversaries Under the Lens

Since time immemorial, man has been a social animal, seeking out fellow creatures with whom to bond and share his joys and sorrows. Primitive celebrations centred around appeasing the forces of Nature. When man began living as a family unit, the marriage or union of two individuals came under the purview of those celebrations as well. Marriage anniversaries began to be celebrated as special days. Naturally, exchanging gifts followed soon to mark the happy occasion.

The card-manufacturing giant, Hallmark, conducted a research into the history of celebrating wedding anniversaries and came up with some interesting findings. It traced the custom to the Germanic region of Europe during the Middle Ages. Only the two milestone wedding anniversaries were celebrated back then - the 25th and the 50th. A husband would present his wife with a silver garland for the former and a golden garland for the latter.

It was only in the early 20th century, that the custom of celebrating the 1st, 10th, and the 20th anniversary came into being. Gradually, as the custom caught on, people saw no reason why not to celebrate other years as well.

In the early 20th century, only the first and major milestone anniversaries (10th, 20th, 25th, 50th) had specific materials and gemstones associated with them. It was only in 1937 that the American National Retail Jewellery Association brought out a more detailed list of gift themes for each year up to the 15th wedding anniversary. The list also covered every fifth year after that up to the 60th anniversary. This list has been universally accepted. For obvious reasons, this list keeps getting updated by various commercial organisations. Now, the choice is much wider, with a list of traditional as well as contemporary theme to choose from.

While the 25th wedding anniversary is associated with silver and the 50th with gold, the Diamond anniversary was shrouded in some uncertainty. Originally, the diamond anniversary celebrated 75 years of a marriage. However, the story goes that Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee on completing 60 years on the throne. Consequently, diamond became the gift theme for the 60th wedding anniversary.

The exact origin of the practice of giving gifts on wedding anniversaries is shrouded in obscurity. But, historians are unanimous in tracing the custom to the Middle Ages in Germany.

Associating materials and gemstones with each anniversary year also has its roots in the Medieval Ages where it was commonly believed that there were certain natural substances that possessed powerful qualities and which brought good luck and fortune.
The reason why silver, gold and diamond came to be associated with the 25th, 50th and the 60th wedding anniversaries, respectively, is that all three of these are precious and rare substances. More long-lasting the marriage, more deserving it is of a substance matching it in purity, rarity and cost.

In medieval times, couples exchanged (or received from family and friends) practical and useful gifts that would help them set up their new home. For the later years, when the couple had more or less got the basic necessities out of the way, it seemed appropriate to give luxury gift items that would enhance their home and lifestyle.

A gift is usually expected on every wedding anniversary nowadays -- especially by a wife. Try shopping for ideas for her anniversary gift here

Ask any husband - not goofing up the anniversary date is stressful enough without the added pressure of coming up with that perfect gift. This latter often poses the greatest dilemma for the average man, who is often simply stuck for creative ideas. After all, you can't go on giving chocolates and flowers (and the odd jewellery or two) year after year, can you? But, where do you turn for inspiration? Why, right here!

These gifts will keep you out of the doghouse!

1. If it's your 5th wedding anniversary, give her gifts based on wood (traditional) or silverware (modern). A wooden wine box with a bottle of her favourite bubbly snugly nestled inside would make for a great gift. Or, a silver photo frame with a romantic picture of the two of you.

2. Get creative. Combine three themes in one! For instance, for your 11th wedding anniversary you could fill a steel (traditional 11th anniversary year gift) vase with a bunch of gorgeous Morning Glory flowers (flower for the 11th year) and slip an exquisite turquoise and hematite (gemstones for the 11th year) necklace of around its neck.

3. Crisp linen bedsheets, or sensuous lacy and linen lingerie would make ideal 8th wedding anniversary gifts.

For more romantic ideas, go to Romantic Gift Ideas for Your Anniversary

Did you know that each wedding anniversary year has its own set of traditional and contemporary gifts? For instance, the traditional gift for the 1st wedding anniversary is paper while the contemporary or modern theme is that of clocks. You may well wonder. Paper?? Clocks?? There is an interesting reasoning behind this choice of gifts. Paper is supposed to symbolise the strength of its interlocking fibres while clocks epitomise the eternal and timeless quality of your love. There are loads of creative gifts that have paper or clock as their central theme. We'll come to that in a minute.

Similarly, while leather is the traditional gift for the 3rd anniversary year, crystal or glass makes up its contemporary component. If you are armed with a handy list that guides you to the appropriate gift for each year, wouldn't that make life so much more stress-free?

For a detailed, year by year list of traditional and modern gifts for each wedding anniversary year, check out Anniversary Year Gift Ideas

Do you think that the only jewellery worth giving on a wedding anniversary is one that is dripping with diamonds? Well, absolutely not!

Every wedding anniversary has its own distinctive gemstone. For example, the gemstones associated with the 6th wedding anniversary are garnet and amethyst, while tiger eye and lapis lazuli are the gemstones for the 9th anniversary year. Pendants, bracelets or earrings based on these precious stones would make fabulous anniversary gifts for her.

Want to know all about the gemstones for each anniversary year? Go to Best Wedding Anniversary Year Gifts

No anniversary celebrations can ever be complete without flowers. But, presenting her with a bouquet of red roses with clockwork regularity year after year has made you a predictable sort of a bloke. You sure want to break the monotony. Guess what? You don't have to give her roses every year. Like the gemstone, each wedding anniversary year comes with a particular flower associated with it.

So, while pansy rules the 1st anniversary year, daffodils are in order for the 10th year.

For more on which flower to give her for which anniversary, visit this flowers by anniversary year page.

When it comes to wooing a wife, there is no greater weapon than oodles of romance. Treading the plebeian route of electrical gadgets and kitchen appliances may just earn you a watery smile and a week of mystifying, sulky silence.

Yes, romance is the key to unlock a woman's heart. She simply loves, and secretly longs for, the entire candlelight dinner-roses routine.

Foxed? Let's take an example of say, your 1st wedding anniversary. It is super special. More than any other, this anniversary is about saying, "thank you for saying 'I do'." And letting her know that even a year later, she still makes your heart race with just a look or a touch.

Paper gifts are traditionally associated with the first wedding anniversary. How about an exquisite wedding anniversary memory book, in which you can stick photos and record other memorable details of the special day? Or, slip two tickets under her pillow for a romantic weekend getaway? The idea is to keep the surprise element alive and kicking in your marriage.

In other words, be romantic!

Other romantic ideas include:

1. Instead of dinner at a fancy restaurant, why not cook a romantic meal for her?
2. Surprise her. Whisk her off for a mini romantic getaway and catch up on some sorely-needed 'us' time.
3. Dare to be different, original. Red roses are great - but not all the time. Look up the anniversary flower for that year and give her masses of the same.

For more romantic ideas, check out this New Romantic You blog

If you hit the big numbers -- the 60th, 65th or 70th wedding anniversary -- you can get a congratulatory message from the Queen, no less.

Make your application here: Apply for Royal Greetings on Your Anniversary! (but only 3 weeks before the anniversary).