Wedding Anniversary Traditions And Gifts
Wedding anniversaries provide an ideal platform for a couple to rejoice the delight of togetherness and also pledge to love each other for the rest of their lives. Wedding anniversary traditions constantly remind us of the importance of marriage and also necessitate the renewal of marriage vows. Anniversary traditions also might vary, depending on the anniversary the couple is celebrating. A few common traditions are: wishing the couple, buying presents for them and blessing them on the occasion.
Prior to 1937, only the milestone wedding anniversaries were celebrated. In 1937, the American National Retail Jewellery Association started off with the custom of associating each year of the anniversary with a material. Therefore traditional wedding anniversary gifts are chosen from the material that is designated to each year. Gifts, wrapped with love and affection are the best way to wish a couple but following the traditions will also be a nice way of being a part of the celebration.
The first wedding anniversary is symbolized by paper which reflects the strength of the interlocking fibres. Therefore a few wedding gifts that can be gifted to a couple on their first anniversary are as follows:
- The first edition of a favourite book by a favourite author
- Paper tickets to a movie or concert
- Paper flowers
- A scrapbook to write down memories
Traditional wedding gifts for the second anniversary are as follows:
- A cotton wall hanging or a painting on cotton
- Cotton clothing
Traditional gifts for a couple’s twenty-fifth anniversary are silver jewellery, silverware, silver candle stick, silver photo frame
A few of the popular gifts for a couple’s fiftieth anniversary are gold jewellery and anything related to gold. Diamond gifts are traditional gifts for the sixtieth and seventy-fifth year of marriage anniversary. It includes bracelets, earrings, rings, bangles, necklaces etc.
At times, people hesitate to follow the conventional practice of giving gifts based on the material. They might present the couple (or the husband and wife can present each other) with gifts, inspired by the number of the anniversary itself. For e.g., gifting seven small items on the seventh marriage anniversary.
Anniversary gifts are as important as the anniversary celebrations and they are also the best way to convey one’s feeling for the other. The gift should be according to the year of the anniversary so that the gift becomes a symbol of remembrance of that special celebration.
