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| Fern n Petals - Wedding Gift |
Wedding anniversaries are time for celebrations,
gifts and well wishes. They are joyous occasions in the life of any married
couple and the practice of observing the wedding anniversary dates back to long
time in the history of mankind. Its historic origins
can be traced back to the time of the Holy Roman Empire, when husbands crowned
their wives with a silver wreath on the twenty-fifth anniversary and a gold
wreath on the fiftieth. The tradition of gift-giving probably has its origins
in the underlying belief that certain luck-bringing substances are associated
with a distinct number of years.
The practice of giving different gifts on wedding anniversaries originated in Central Europe. In Medieval times, only a few milestone
anniversaries were celebrates such as the 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversaries. To
mark the occasion of a 25th wedding anniversary a husband would crown his wife
with a wreath of silver and present of a wreath of gold on the 50th wedding
anniversary. Over time, the list of gifts expanded to include other
anniversaries and there were special gifts, one assigned to each anniversary
and each with its own material and symbolic value. The order of gifts reflects
the progressive strengthening of the marriage relationship.
There is a
traditional list of the anniversary gifts which probably originated in the
Victorian era. They adapted ancient customs and existing traditions into a
prescribed list of gifts for each wedding anniversary. The modern list started in
1937 when the American National Retail Jeweler Association introduced a revised
list of gifts. The list associated a material for each anniversary up to the 20th,
and then a gap of five years each before another gift up to the 75th
only with the exception the 65th wedding anniversary. The
anniversary gifts begin with simple paper and flowers, and gradually increase
in substance and value like Crystal for the 15th anniversary and
Pearl for the 30th. The passing of each year together marks a stronger
and deeper commitment for the couple and an accumulation of memorable times and
experiences. The gifts for anniversary are
meant to honor this bond and ever strengthening relationship. A suitable item
from the list maybe the best anniversary gifts as they are symbolic of the years of marriage. And there are also
lists of most beautiful flowers and gemstones gifts in lieu of the wedding
anniversary years.
