Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Individual wedding anniversary gift ideas have traditionally been standardized and, invariably, depend upon the length of the marriage. A wedding is a sacred covenant between two people. Each person promises to love, honor, and cherish one another for the rest of their lives. The initial celebration includes the giving of gifts to the couple along with well wishes. Once a person is married, staying married is a challenge. The temptations to step outside of the marriage abound. Children, parents, and friends often interfere with marital bliss. Plus, the realities of housing, finances, employment, and health tend to confront the relationship. As a couple continues to join themselves together to become one, family and friends can show their support by conferring symbolic gifts at specific intervals. One does not have to follow traditional ideas for anniversary gifts. However, a long standing list exist that is full of helpful hints. The list first began in Central Europe, with the recognition of two milestones. In specific, a custom developed in medieval Germany whereby, after 25 years of marriage, the family would present to the wife a silver wreath. After 50 years of marriage, a gold wreath was given. Back then, only these two anniversaries were celebrated. During the Victorian age, two more milestones were added to the list. The 60th and the 75th year; which garnered diamonds. Fast forward to 1922. Emily Post, the renowned manners guru, published a book called Blue Book of Social Usage. In the book, she listed eight wedding anniversary gift ideas for the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th milestones. She stated that these years were the ones people most often acknowledged. She also introduced additions to this list that included a gift for each of the first 15 years of marriage, plus one for every 5 years after that point. The American National Retail Jeweler Association got into the mix in 1937. That organization further expounded the list by associating a material for each year a couple stayed married; 1-20. Each year builds upon the previous. Therefore, in order to get to 20, the foundation of the first ten should be rock solid.

There are both traditional and modern wedding anniversary gift ideas out in the market place. Looking at the more traditional list, paper is a first year gift. Paper is made from interlocking fibers, however, it is quite delicate. When a couple's marriage is fairly new, the paper symbolizes the fact that although knit together, the relationship is still quite fragile. It should be handled with care. For the next year, cotton is the material. The properties of cotton are that of soft silky fibers. Instead of the roughness of paper, the relationship is beginning to combine in new and unique ways. Both prosperity and durability are associated with cotton. Though some issues have been smoothed out, the relationship is still quite soft and pliable. Once a couple gets to the 3rd year threshold, the material is leather. Much more durable and tough, leather has a smooth side and a rough side. As leather is used, the comfort of the material becomes more and more apparent. Year 4 brings gifts of linen. Linen is interwoven like paper and cotton, however linen is made from the flax plant. Its properties are that it is lightweight and cool. Wedding anniversary gift ideas should stress the fact that the burdens of the relationship are becoming lighter and cooler heads begin to prevail when disagreements appear. Wood marks the 5th year milestone. Wood is very strong in comparison to the materials of years 1 through 4. The strength of wood symbolizes the couples enduring strength and ability to last.

For the sixth year, wedding anniversary gift ideas indicate a bent toward iron. Iron is very strong, but can get rusty. A couple should understand that this gift is a reminder that although, their marriage maybe strong, they should be cautious about possible rust. Rust weakens the bonds of metal; symbolizing a weakening of the relationship if the marriage is not properly cared for. Wool is the material of year 7. Wool is dense and warm, highly flame resistant, and stretchable. The wool provides a protective covering. This covering is not impenetrable, though. Couples should recognize that though there is lots of protection from wool, when a person goes outside the covenant, that is covered by the wool, the wool can no longer be protective. In year 8, the symbolic material for wedding anniversary gift ideas is bronze. Bronze is the first material that represents a blend. Copper and tin are combined to make bronze. As the couple grows into their 8th year of marriage, they will be reminded, by the bronze, that they are becoming one. "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:16-18)

The wedding anniversary gift ideas for the milestone of year 9 is pottery. A very important aspect of this material is that it is not a material; exactly. What is done to a create pottery reveals its importance. Pottery objects are made of clay into a required shape. Then, the shape is heated to extremely high temperatures in order to induce reactions that will lead to a permanent change in the character of the object. Using the idea of the marriage as the object, pottery symbolizes the marriage's ability to go through the fire and make desired enduring changes. Tin is the material of year ten. It's malleable, responsive, and highly crystalline. This is the first sign of a shininess in the relationship. This silvery-white metal illuminates the reward for a couple who gets to the ten year mark. Well on their way to a lifetime of wedded bliss, statistics show that divorce rates actually increase in year 10. But, they drop dramatically after year 15. In years 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, wedding anniversary gift ideas are centered around steel, silk, lace, ivory, and crystal; respectively. Though these symbols have their meanings, it is really the couple, and their individual commitment to the covenant relationship they established, that can and will ensure the length of the marriage.

Source: http://www.christianet.com/flowers/weddinganniversarygiftideas.htm

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