Wondering what to get your other half for your wedding anniversary? Hmm, it’s that lifelong spouse conundrum…
But, an easy way to narrow down the choice AND get extra brownie points at the same time, is to match the year with the traditional gift for that particular anniversary.
What we mean is that traditionally to celebrate the first year of married bliss your gift should be something made from paper (let’s face it, no-one has any cash left after paying for a lavish wedding ceremony and honeymoon). This could, of course, be tickets to a show. Or, if you’ve feeling more flush, airline tickets.
Traditionally the second year’s gift should be made from cotton, the third-year leather, and for the fourth year of being hitched, you should really be presenting her or him with something made from linen. The following years up to the 10th wedding anniversary are Wood, Iron, Copper & Wool, Bronze, Willow and Tin – in that order.
The idea behind it all is that the gifts should increase in value as the years go on – to represent the time you and your partner have both invested in the relationship. Sweet.
And the gift for your 80th wedding anniversary is…
Your 15th wedding anniversary is crystal, the 20th is china. Silver is, of course, the gift to mark your 25th. Interestingly, the highest the list goes on to an 80th wedding anniversary. And the gift for such a long time of staying together? It’s oak! We reckon that’s a pretty poor prize for all that compromising you’ll have done over the decades…
Wedding anniversaries date back to Roman times
Celebrating a wedding anniversary is nothing new – it actually dates back to Roman times when men gave their wife a silver wreath for 25 years of marriage, and a gold one for 50 years.
It was the commercialism of the 20th century that introduced the other gifts – one for every year. By the 1930s a basic list was put together, then added to over the years. Interestingly, the people behind it were American and British greeting card company owners. But in 1937 the American National Retail Jewellers Association got in on the act too, publishing the definitive guide which we still use to this day.
British couple wed for more than nine decades
Meanwhile, in case you’re wondering – the record for the longest ever marriage is held by a couple from Bradford. Mr and Mrs Chand were married for 91 years. Can you imagine?!!