A wedding anniversary is the

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

of the date a wedding took place. Couples may take the occasion to celebrate their relationship, either privately or with a larger party. Special celebrations and gifts are often given for particular anniversary milestones (e.g. 10, 15, 20, 25 years). In some cultures, traditional names exist for milestone anniversaries; for instance, fifty years of marriage may be known as a "golden wedding anniversary", "golden anniversary" or "golden wedding".

Recognition

Celebrating wedding anniversaries as ''gold'' (50 years) or ''silver'' (25 years) is documented in Germanic countries since the 1500s. In the twentieth century, commercialism led to the celebration of more anniversaries according to a list of predetermined gifts. In some parts of the world, couples can receive special recognition from government officials for particular milestones. In the

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s, one can receive a message from the monarch for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that. This is done by applying to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

in the United Kingdom, or to the

governor-general Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

's office in the other Commonwealth realms. In Australia, one can receive a letter of congratulations from the

on the 50th and all subsequent wedding anniversaries. The prime minister, the federal Opposition leader, local members of both state and federal parliaments, and state governors may also send salutations for the same anniversaries. In Canada, one can also receive a message from the

for the 50th anniversary, and every fifth anniversary after that. In the United States, a couple can receive an anniversary greeting card from the president for the 50th and all subsequent anniversaries.

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

may apply for a papal blessing through their local diocese for wedding anniversaries of a special nature (25th, 50th, 60th, etc.).

Celebration and gifts

Some significant anniversaries have names which suggest appropriate or traditional gifts. These gifts may be exchanged by spouses or given by guests at parties; they may also influence an anniversary party's theme or decoration. These gifts vary in different countries, but some anniversary years now have well-established connections common to most nations: 5th Wood, 10th Tin, 15th Crystal, 20th

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, 25th Silver, 30th Pearl, 35th

Jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...

, 40th Ruby, 45th Sapphire, 50th Gold, 60th Diamond, and 70th Platinum. In English-speaking countries, the fifth year gift (wood) was cut on the day of celebration and then presented to the wife as a finished item before the next two

quarter days In British and Irish tradition, the quarter days were the four dates in each year on which servants were hired, school terms started, and rents were due. They fell on four religious festivals roughly three months apart and close to the two solstic ...

had passed. In 1937, the American National Retail Jeweler Association (now known as Jewelers of America as a result of an organizational merger) introduced an expanded list of gifts. The revamped list gave a gift for each year up to the 25th, and then for every fifth anniversary after that. In South India, 60th and 80th wedding anniversaries are accompanied by large celebrations similar to weddings. In Tamil Nadu, there is a famous Thirukadaiyur Temple where special

pujas ''Puja'' ( sa, पूजा, pūjā, translit-std=IAST) is a worship ritual performed by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honor a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event. ...

are conducted for wedding anniversaries.

Traditional anniversary gifts

Flower gifts

Flowers are also associated with wedding anniversaries up to and including the 50th anniversary.

References

External links