When you’re happily married, celebrating anniversaries is like celebrating the birthday of your special union and all of the beautiful people and memories that union created. So, respectively, as the years go on the anniversary gifts take on a more valuable meaning. Here in the US picking an anniversary gift by year can be a bit confusing.
And while it seems dated to some, there are still many who like to keep traditions in play. This article will tell you what milestones should be celebrated beyond the married couple and will offer examples of anniversary gifts by year and what they mean.
Where Did These Anniversary Gifts Ideas Come From Anyway?
While all anniversary gifts by year on this list don’t have a backstory, there are some which stand out and have a little bit of history to share. For example, the custom of giving silver for the 25th wedding anniversary and gold with the 50th comes from Germany where husbands would give their wives a silver wreath as a symbol of harmony which was imperative to a married couple of 25 years. And at the 50th, an even deeper meaning of dedication was represented. These traditions go all the way back to the middle ages!
As with the original diamond anniversary being the 75th, the new 60th diamond anniversary was added by Queen Victoria during her 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne in 1897.
Nowadays, people love to do all kinds of exciting things for their anniversary. While traveling for destination weddings and wedding event parties have become popular, so has traveling for anniversaries. There’s nothing like reliving honeymoon years and years after marriage. If you’re not gifting travel, there are still many ways to celebrate the special occasion of an anniversary. Like going on a meaningful anniversary date to deliver your special gift.
Here Are Anniversary Gifts by Year for Reference:
First Year:
Traditional gift; paper
Modern gift; plastic, clocks, Pansy flowers, Gold or Peridot jewelry
Second Year:
Traditional gift; cotton
Modern gift; cotton and calico, fine china, Cosmos flowers, Garnet jewelry
Third Year:
Traditional gift; leather
Modern gift; leather, crystal, glass, Fuschia flowers, Pearls or Jade jewels
Fourth Year:
Traditional gift; fruit and flowers
Modern gift; linen, silk, nylon, appliances, Geranium flowers, Bue Topaz or Blue Zircon jewels
Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; wood
Modern gift; wood, silverware, Daisy flowers, Sapphire or Pink Tourmaline jewels
Sixth Year:
Traditional gift; candy
Modern gift; iron, wood, Calla Lily flowers, Amethyst or Turquoise jewels
Seventh Year:
Traditional gift; copper and wool
Modern gift; brass, desk sets, Jack-in-the-Pulpit flowers, Onynx or Yellow Sapphire jewels
Eighth Year:
Traditional gift; bronze
Modern gift; pottery, linen, Clematis flowers, Tourmaline or Tanzanite jewels
Ninth Year:
Traditional gift; pottery
Modern gift; willow, leather, Poppy flowers, Lapis Lazuli or Amethyst jewels
Tenth Year:
Traditional gift; tin
Modern gift; aluminum, diamond, Daffodil flowers, Diamond or Blue Sapphire jewels
Eleventh Year:
Traditional gift; steel
Modern gift; steel, jewelry, Morning Glory Flowers, Turquoise or Citrine jewels
Twelfth Year:
Traditional gift; silk
Modern gift; linen, pearl, Peony flowers, Jade or Opal jewels
Thirteenth Year:
Traditional gift; lace
Modern gift; lace, textiles, faux fur, Hollyhock flowers, Citrine, Moonstone, or Hawk’s Eye jewels
Fourteenth Year:
Traditional gift; Ivory (elephant friendly)
Modern gift; Ivory (elephant friendly), Gold, Dahlia flowers, Opal or Agate/ Bloodstone jewels
Fifteenth Year:
Traditional gift; crystal
Modern gift; glass, watches, Roses, Ruby jewels
Sixteenth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; silver holloware, Wax Candle flowers, Peridot or Red Spinal jewels
Seventeenth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; furniture, Shell Roses, watches
Eighteenth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; porcelain, Feather flowers, Cat’s Eye jewels
Nineteenth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; bronze, Chili Pepper Roses, Aquamarine jewels
Twentieth Year:
Traditional gift; paper
Modern gift; China platinum, Day Lily flowers, Emerald jewels
Twenty-First Year:
Traditional gift; China
Modern gift; Brass and nickel, Iolite jewels
Twenty-Second Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; copper, Spinel jewels
Twenty-Third Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; silver plate, Imperial Topaz jewels
Twenty-Fourth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; musical instruments, two dozen Roses, Tanzanite jewels
Twenty-Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; silver
Modern gift; silver, Iris flowers, Silver Jubilee jewels
Twenty-Sixth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; pictures, 26 chocolates,
Twenty-Seventh Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; sculpture
Twenty-Eighth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Orchids
Twenty-Ninth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; furniture
Thirtieth Year:
Traditional gift; Pearl
Modern gift; Pearl, Sweet Pea flowers, Pearl Jubilee jewels
Thirty-First Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; timepieces
Thirty Second Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; transportation
Thirty Third Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Amethyst jewels
Thirty-Fourth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Opal jewels
Thirty-Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; Coral
Modern gift; Coral, Jade, Emerald jewels
Thirty Sixth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Bone China
Thirty-Seventh Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Alabaster
Thirty-Eighth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Beryl, Tourmaline jewels
Thirty-Ninth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; lace
Fortieth Year:
Traditional gift; Ruby
Modern gift; Ruby, Garnet, Nasturtium
Forty-First Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Land
Forty Second Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Real Estate
Forty-Third Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Travel
Forty-Fourth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Gourmet
Forty Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; Sapphire
Modern gift; Sapphire, Cat’s Eye jewels
Forty-Sixth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; poetry
Forty-Seventh Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; Books
Forty-Eight Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; optical
Forty-Ninth Year:
Traditional gift; none
Modern gift; luxury goods
Fiftieth Year:
Traditional gift; Gold
Modern gift; Gold, Violet flowers, Golden Jubilee jewels
Fifty-Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; Emerald
Modern gift; Turquoise, Emerald, Alexandrite jewels
Sixtieth Year:
Traditional gift; Diamond
Modern gift; Gold, Diamond, Diamond Jubilee jewels
Sixty-Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; Diamond
Modern gift; Gold, Diamond, Blue Spinal jewels
Seventieth Year:
Traditional gift; Diamond
Modern gift; Gold, Diamond, Sapphire Jubilee jewels
Seventy-Fifth Year:
Traditional gift; Diamond
Modern gift; Diamond, Ruby Jubilee jewels
The gifts and milestones of anniversaries have changed over the years, but anniversary gifts by year as we know it today have been in place since the 1930s and that’s kinda cool if you think about it. There’s something sweet and special about a classic anniversary gift. It’s timeless and understood. You can never go wrong when choosing an anniversary gift by year in my opinion. Especially if you’re gifting your grandparents!
