Traditional
anniversary gifts are chosen from a list of materials that are designated
for each year. For example, the first wedding anniversary is symbolized
with paper, and from there traditional anniversary gifts become more
precious or scarce to reflect the growing number of years a couple has
remained together.
The
Modern list of materials is an alternative to the traditional anniversary
list and includes "modern" items such as electrical appliances
and fashion jewelry. The first anniversary is symbolized with clocks.
It isn't clear when the traditional gift list came into existence. It
probably evolved over time. Calling years twenty-five and fifty 'Silver'
and 'Gold' may have originated in medieval Europe, where wives were
given a silver wreath to celebrate their twenty-fifth year of marriage
and a gold wreath for their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Diamonds are traditional anniversary gifts in both the sixtieth and
seventy-fifth years. Year sixty was probably added when Queen Victoria
celebrated her Diamond Jubilee after sixty years on the British throne.
The traditional list may seem somewhat unexciting for the early years,
but it doesn't have to be if you get creative.
