A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date a

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

took place. Couples may take the occasion to celebrate their relationship, either privately or with a larger

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often featur ...

. 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 realms, one can receive a message from the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...

for 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that. This is done by applying to Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, or to the governor-general's office in the other Commonwealth realms. In Australia, one can receive a letter of congratulations from the governor-general on the 50th and all subsequent wedding anniversaries. The

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

, 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 governor-general 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 may apply for a

papal blessing The apostolic blessing or papal blessing is a blessing imparted by the pope, either directly or by delegation through others. Bishops are empowered to grant it three times a year and any priest can do so for the dying. The apostolic blessing is not ...

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 Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

, 10th Tin, 15th

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

, 20th China, 25th

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

, 30th Pearl, 35th Jade, 40th

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...

, 45th

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...

, 50th

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

, 60th

Diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

, and 70th Platinum. In

English-speaking countries The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers. List * The European Union is a supranational union composed of 27 member states. The total En ...

, 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 had passed. In 1937, the American National Retail Jeweler Association (now known as

Jewelers of America The Jewelers of America (JA) is a trade association of professionals in the United States jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings ...

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 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