Wedding anniversary
From ArticleWorld
A married couple celebrates a wedding anniversary each year on the date of their marriage. The most popular anniversaries include: the 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th and 60th. In Germany, half and quarter anniversaries are celebrated.
Ways couples celebrate
Family members may celebrate a wedding anniversary with a couple. Children in particular often take part in celebrating the occasion. Sometimes family and friends will join the couple for a party (especially for significant anniversaries) or the couple will get a babysitter for their children so they can enjoy a romantic night alone – like when (in most cases) they first were married. After a certain amount of time they may go on a “second honeymoon” over their anniversary, often to an exotic location, to renew the spark and romance in their relationship.
Gifts
The retail market, particularly jewelers, has capitalized on the wedding anniversary market and encourages an exchange of gifts. In fact, many retailers have suggested a hierarchy in the order of gifts for especially significant anniversaries (and, as a couple gets older, common sense would acknowledge that they are able to purchase more expensive gifts). Gifts can become rather extravagant, and often bizarre.
Gifts by year
Some traditions specify gifts for each anniversary. Each anniversary is assigned a gift category, ramping up in significance as the years go on. For example:
- 1st – paper
- 2nd - cotton
- 3rd – leather
- 4th – linen
- 5th – wood
- 6th – iron
- 7th – wool
- 8th – bronze
- 9th – pottery
- 10th – tin
- 11th – steel
- 12th – silk
- 13th – lace
- 14th – ivory
- 15th – crystal
- 20th – chinaware
- 25th – silver
- 30th – pearl
- 35th – coral
- 40th – ruby