The History and Tradition of Wedding Anniversaries: From Ancient Customs to Modern-Day Celebrations

Whether you're toasting your first year as newlyweds or marking a golden fifty years together, wedding anniversaries are more than just calendar milestones—they’re cherished moments to pause, reflect, and celebrate love’s journey. But have you ever wondered where the idea of celebrating anniversaries came from? Why do we give silver for 25 years and gold for 50? And who decides what each year is "made" of?

Let’s take a heartfelt journey through the history and traditions of wedding anniversaries, exploring how this beautiful custom has evolved across time and cultures.

Ancient Origins: A Toast to Longevity

The concept of commemorating marriage milestones stretches back to ancient Rome and medieval Germany. In Roman times, husbands would crown their wives with silver wreaths to mark 25 years of marriage and gold wreaths for 50 years. These metals weren’t chosen randomly—they symbolised prosperity, endurance, and something very rare, much like a marriage that lasts half a century.

In medieval Germanic tribes, similar customs were followed among the aristocracy, where milestone years were marked with ceremonial gatherings, often featuring symbolic gifts.

It wasn’t until the 19th century, however, that these ideas started taking more formal shape—and expanding beyond just the silver and gold years.

The Victorian Influence: Romance Meets Ritual

As with many of our most sentimental traditions, the Victorians had a significant hand in shaping how we celebrate anniversaries today. The Victorian era in both the UK and the US was a time of heightened romanticism. During this period, the idea of giving specific themed gifts for each year of marriage began to flourish.

Books from the late 1800s in both Britain and America began listing appropriate anniversary gifts. These weren’t meant just as shopping guides—they reflected what was culturally valued at the time. For instance, paper for the first anniversary symbolised the fragile yet blank canvas of new love, while wood for the fifth year represented growing strength and rootedness.

The American Expansion: From Tradition to Trend

The list of anniversary themes expanded greatly in the 20th century, particularly in the United States. In 1922, Emily Post, the famed etiquette author, published a list of anniversary gift suggestions in her book Etiquette, which included only the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries.

Later, in 1957, the American National Retail Jeweler Association (now part of Jewelers of America) published a comprehensive list assigning traditional materials to the first 15 years and every five-year increment thereafter. This move wasn’t purely traditional—it also helped spur the commercial side of anniversary gifting. After all, a little sparkle (or leather or linen) never hurt anyone.

Anniversary Gemstones and Flowers

It’s not just about materials. Each anniversary year also has a gemstone and a flower associated with it. These tokens offer even more personalised ways to express your love.

• 1st year: Carnation (flower), Gold (gem)
• 5th year: Daisy (flower), Sapphire (gem)
• 10th year: Daffodil (flower), Diamond (gem)
• 25th year: Iris (flower), Silver (gem)
• 50th year: Yellow rose or violet (flower), Gold (gem)

So if you’re planning to surprise your partner, why not go the extra mile? A bouquet of daisies and a blue sapphire pendant for your 5th wedding anniversary? Now that’s romance with roots.

Traditional vs Modern Anniversary Gifts

Today, couples often choose between traditional and modern anniversary gift lists, and many even mix them up for fun. Here’s a quick glance at how they compare:

Modern gifts were introduced to reflect evolving tastes and lifestyles. For example, while the traditional 3rd anniversary gift is leather, the modern version is crystal or glass, representing clarity and transparency in a relationship. (See the full list at the end of the article.)

Celebrating Around the World

Anniversary customs vary across cultures, though the sentiment is the same: celebrating love and endurance.

• In South Korea, couples celebrate their 100th day (yes, 100 days!) together with rings and romantic dinners.
• In Germany, a couple celebrating their silver anniversary often hosts a lavish party for friends and family, sometimes even renewing their vows.
• In India, many couples mark significant anniversaries with religious ceremonies and gatherings that involve both families.
• In the UK, Queen Elizabeth II made it tradition for couples celebrating 60 years or more to receive a congratulatory letter from the monarch—a truly royal way to honour such commitment.

Making It Personal: Modern Day Traditions

Today, wedding anniversaries are more personal and flexible than ever. While traditional gifts are still adored, many couples prefer to create experiences over objects. Think:

• Recreating your first date
• Writing heartfelt letters to each other
• Booking a surprise getaway
• Making a personalised calendar filled with memories and future plans (and yes, our site can help with that!)

What matters most is the intent behind the celebration. Whether it's a picnic in the garden, a night away without the kids, or a simple toast over tea, the magic lies in being present for each other.

Wedding Anniversary Gifts with Traditional Meanings

A Note to Remember

As the years go by, life brings all kinds of twists and turns. Careers shift, babies arrive, houses are bought and sold, grey hairs show up (often earlier than expected), and the rhythm of life can feel relentless. Wedding anniversaries offer a pause—a moment to reflect, laugh, cry, and say, “We’re still here. We’re still us.”

It’s not about the size of the celebration or the price tag of the gift. It’s about honouring the everyday magic of partnership. The quiet cup of tea in bed. The shared giggle when no one else gets the joke. The hand reaching for yours after an argument. That’s what anniversaries are really about.

And if you want to print out a calendar filled with your anniversaries, birthdays, and all those little life moments in between—don’t forget, that’s exactly what our calendar tool is here for. 💛