from clicnpic

The tradition of offering a specific gift on a specific anniversary is thought to have started back in the middle ages in Europe. In the beginning, the only anniversaries with special gifts were the 25th anniversary and the 50th anniversary, where silver and gold wreaths were given by the husband to the wife – silver on the 25th and gold on the 50th.

I bet not that many couples made it to their 50th anniversary in the middle ages as life expectancy wasn’t all that long. Making it to the 50th was probably cause for greater celebration than even today!

Eventually, gifts were associated with the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th and 75th anniversaries, and in 1937 the American National Retail Jeweler Association tied in a gift with the in-between years that previously didn’t have gifts, plus “modernized” some of the old traditional gifts.

Here is a list of the traditional/modern gifts for each anniversary:

1st – Paper/Clocks
2nd – Cotton/China
3rd – Leather/Crystal
4th – Fruit or Flowers/Appliances
5th – Wood/Silverware
6th – Candy or Iron/Wood
7th – Wool or Copper/Desk Sets (anything that goes on top of a desk)
8th – Bronze or Pottery/Linens or Lace
9th – Pottery and Willow/Leather
10th – Tin or Aluminum/Diamond Jewelry

11th – Steel/Fashion Jewelry
12th – Silk or Linen/Pearls
13th – Lace/Textiles or Fur
14th – Ivory/Gold Jewelry
15th – Crystal/Watches
16th – –/Silver Holloware (teapot, shakers, goblets, pitchers, bowls)
17th – –/Furniture
18th – –/Porcelain
19th – –/Bronze
20th – China/Platinum

21st – –/Brass or Nickel
22nd – –/Copper
23rd – –/Silver Plate
24th – –/Musical Instruments
25th – Silver/Silver
26th – –/Original Pictures
27th – –/Sculpture
28th – –/Orchids
29th – –/Furniture
30th – Pearl/Diamond

31st – –/Time Pieces
32nd – –/Conveyances (bicycle, car)
33rd – –/Amethyst
34th – –/Opal
35th – Coral/Jade
36th – –/Bone China
37th – –/Alabaster
38th – –/Beryl or Tourmaline (gemstone)
39th – –/Lace
40th – Ruby/Ruby

41st – –/Land
42nd – –/Improved Real Estate
43rd – –/Travel
44th – –/Groceries
45th – Sapphire/Sapphire
46th – –/Original Poetry
47th – –/Books
48th – –/Optical Goods
49th – –/Luxuries
50th – Gold/Gold

I think you’ll agree that the modern anniversary gifts are sometimes a better idea, and sometimes not (like appliances, optical goods, or groceries). Either way, it might make for some creative and tradition-setting anniversaries for the two of you for many years to come. If you don’ like these ideas, try substituting your own gifts – like exotic travel, a spa weekend, or cosmetic surgery. 🙂