Anniversary Gifts: Modern versus Traditional Trends

Modern times have brought about many changes in our gift giving etiquettes. The tradition of giving paper or cotton on the first and second anniversary no longer holds good in modern times. Times have changed and so have the gift giving etiquettes that govern our modern affluent society. However, the best gifts continue to be those that you choose with thought and care and which convey your heartfelt wishes.

The tradition of giving paper, cotton and leather on the first three anniversaries was appropriate in times that these materials were essential for running a household. In modern times, the gifts are more appropriate to the needs and desires of a modern household. For instance, the modern first anniversary gift is a clock, the second anniversary gift is china and the third anniversary gift is typically glass or crystal.

Rather than the traditional gifts of flowers or fruits, we mark fourth anniversaries with appliances. Fifth anniversaries are now marked with silverware rather than wood. Traditionally, a chair made of wood or even simply firewood was considered an appropriate gift. In modern times, wood figures or antiques are deemed appropriate as sixth anniversary gifts instead of the traditional iron or candy.

With the increasing focus on work, desk sets have become a favorite seventh anniversary gift instead of copper and wool. The tradition of giving pottery or bronze for the eighth anniversary has been replaced by lace and linens, marking our move away from utilitarian tastes to an increased sense of luxury. And instead of gifts made of willow, we now give leather gifts on the ninth anniversary.

Traditionally, luxury gifts like jewelry would appear on the list only on the 25th anniversary. In modern times, however, we mark the 10th anniversary with diamond jewelry. While the jewelry doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, it does signify that it is considered quite an accomplishment for a couple to stay together for ten years, given the increase in divorce rates.

Modern anniversary gifts continue in a vein of being more expensive than their traditional counterparts continuing on up. The 11th anniversary is marked by fashion jewelry, the twelfth by pearls (the 30th in tradition), 13th by textiles or furs, the 14th by gold jewelry, and the 15th by watches. Many people get matching "his" and "her" watches.

Gift giving then skips from the 15th to the 20th anniversary, which is marked with platinum. After the 20th, the modern gifts fall back somewhat in line with the traditional. The traditional and modern gift for the 25th anniversary is the same ie silver, but the 30th anniversary gift in modern times is a diamond instead of the traditional pearl. The last variation is the 35th anniversary, which was traditionally marked by coral and is now commemorated with jade.

For the rest of the anniversary gifts, the modern etiquette has remained in step with the traditional etiquette: ruby for the 40th, sapphire for the 45th, gold for the 50th, emerald for the 55th and diamond for the 60th.

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Mia Quong is the chief editor for F anniversary, the #1 source on the internet for information about anniversary. For more articles on anniversary visit: www.ranniversary.com/articles
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