Anniversary Celebrations
An anniversary is commonly associated with weddings. Married persons who regard the date of their marriage as important may mark the yearly date of their wedding in some special way.
Broader groups in society, especially the families, and even more especially the children of such a couple, may help to celebrate such occasions; this is particularly common on the 40th, 50th, and 60th annivs.
Retailers (especially jewellers), sensing a profit opportunity, have encouraged gift-giving on such special days, and may often suggest a hierarchy of types of gifts to reflect the importance of longer years of marriage (and perhaps of greater ability to purchase more expensive gifts).
Complete Year-by-Year Anniversary Gift List |
| Anniversary Gift Year | Traditional Anniversary Gift (American) | Traditional Anniversary Gift (British) | Modern Anniversary Gift |
| 1st | Paper | Cotton | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton | Paper | China |
| 3rd | Leather | Leather | Crystal/Glass |
| 4th | Linen/Silk | Fruit/Flowers | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood | Wood | Silverware |
| 6th | Iron | Candy/Sugar | Wood |
| 7th | Wool/Copper | Wool/Copper | Desk Items/Sets |
| 8th | Bronze | Bronze/Pottery | Linens/Lace |
| 9th | Pottery | Pottery/Willow | Leather |
| 10th | Tin/Aluminum | Tin | Diamond Jewelry |
| 11th | Steel | Steel | Fashion Jewelry |
| 12th | Silk | Silk/Linen | Pearls |
| 13th | Lace | Lace | Textiles/Furs |
| 14th | Ivory | Ivory | Gold Jewelry |
| 15th | Crystal | Crystal | Watches |
| 16th | | | Silver holloware |
| 17th | | | Furniture |
| 18th | | | Porcelain |
| 19th | | | Bronze |
| 20th | China | China | Platinum |
| 21st | | | Brass, Nickel |
| 22nd | | | Copper |
| 23rd | | | Silver plate |
| 24th | | | Musical instruments |
| 25th | Silver | Silver | Sterling Silver |
| 26th | | | Original pictures |
| 27th | | | Sculpture |
| 28th | | | Orchids |
| 29th | | | New furniture |
| 30th | Pearl | Pearl | Diamond |
| 31st | | | Timepieces |
| 32nd | | | Conveyances (e.g., automobiles) |
| 33rd | | | Amethyst |
| 34th | | | Opal |
| 35th | Coral/Jade | Coral | Jade |
| 36th | | | Bone china |
| 37th | | | Alabaster |
| 38th | | | Beryl, Tourmaline |
| 39th | | | Lace |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby | Ruby |
| 41st | | | Land |
| 42nd | | | Improved real estate |
| 43rd | | | Travel |
| 44th | | | Groceries |
| 45th | Sapphire | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| 46th | | | Original poetry tribute |
| 47th | | | Books |
| 48th | | | Optical goods (e.g., telescope, microscope) |
| 49th | | | Luxuries, any kind |
| 50th | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald | Emerald | Emerald |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond |
| 75th | diamonds, diamondlike stones, gold | | |
| 80th | | | Diamond, Pearl |
| 85th | | | Diamond, Sapphire |
| 90th | | | Diamond, Emerald |
| 95th | | | Diamond, Ruby |
| 100th | | | 10-carat Diamond |
Chicago Public Library
http://www.chipublib.org/008subject/005genref/giswedding.html
