Married Monday: Anniversary Gift Themes

   Since Saturday is mine and hubby’s 1 year anniversary I thought it would be fun to look at what the traditional gifts and themes are for each year of marriage. Some of these are very well known others are not so common.

1^st year- Traditionally is paper. This could be tickets to a show, a love letter, even an autograph from someone they love framed.  Paper symbolizes strength, in paper the threads are interlaced to make it strong like your marriage. The modern take on it is a clock. They can be personalized, or a fun cuckoo clock.  The thought behind a clock comes from something that Henry Van Dyke wrote, “For those who love, time is eternity.”

2^nd year- Traditionally is cotton, the material is durable and versatile. Both qualities are important to a good marriage. The modern gift is china because it is elegant and beautiful which is how many people view love as well.

3^rd year- Traditionally is leather. By the third year most couples are sure of the durability of the marriage, much like how durable leather is. The modern take is crystal, because it is dazzling, a reminder that a marriage can touch others lives.  A fun way to enjoy the night is to have a western themed night with leather and love songs.

4^th year- The traditional gift is fruit and flowers. This symbolizes the blossoming and maturing of the partnership in marriage. The modern take is appliances, by 4 years many things from the wedding showers may need updated or replaced.

5^th year- Traditionally wood is given this year.  This sounds hard to give as a gift, don’t go out and get a block of wood, a tree, a fragrance or candle of a woody sent or something made out of wood. The modern gift is silverware. It serves as a reminder of the bond that you have formed through sharing meals together through the years.

10^th year - Traditionally year ten is tin or aluminum.  They represent how a marriage can be bent but not broken as long as there flexibility. The modern take on it is diamonds! I sure like the idea of diamonds more than tin. Diamonds are tough and are not scratched easily they show that a marriage is durable.

15^th year- The gift of crystal is given traditionally and is said to represent the crystal clear love between the couple. A more common gift now is a watch, that many think represent the time you have spent together, and the time you still want to be together.

20^th year- China is the tradition for this big milestone anniversary, it symbolizes the beautiful and elegance of your love over the decades.  The modern gift is platinum. It is strong and enduring like a 20 year marriage.

25^th year- Through the ages the theme of this year has not changed. The 25^th anniversary is all silver. Silver is radiant and symbolizes the long lasting love.

   

I am so excited that it has almost been a year since the wedding and I am so so happy to be with my hubby. I’m excited to make it to the silver anniversary, just 24 years to go!! Who knows what will happen between now and then, a life full of love and happiness I know for sure!