Anniversary symbols
Many anniversaries have special names. Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home by Emily Post, published in 1922, contained suggestions for wedding anniversary gifts for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 and 75 years. Wedding anniversary gift suggestions for other years were added in later editions and publications; they now comprise what is referred to as the "traditional" list. Generally speaking the longer the period, the more precious and/or durable the material associated with it.
Traditional List
1 year is a paper anniversary
2 years is a cotton anniversary
3 years is a leather anniversary
4 years is a linen anniversary
5 years is a wood anniversary
6 years is an iron anniversary
7 years is a wool anniversary
8 years is a bronze anniversary
9 years is a copper anniversary
10 years is a tin (or aluminium) anniversary
11 years is a steel anniversary
12 years is a silk anniversary
13 years is a lace anniversary
14 years is an ivory anniversary
15 years is a crystal anniversary
17 years is a turquoise anniversary
20 years is a china (porcelain) anniversary
25 years is a Silver Jubilee or silver wedding anniversary
30 years is a pearl anniversary
35 years is a coral (or jade) anniversary
40 years is a ruby anniversary
45 years is a sapphire anniversary
50 years is a Golden Jubilee - not to be confused with the 'golden birthday' (not at a fixed age)
55 years is an emerald anniversary
60 years is a Diamond Jubilee
65 years is a blue sapphire anniversary
70 years is a Platinum Jubilee.
75 years is a diamond wedding anniversary
80 years is an oak wedding anniversary
There are variations in some national traditions.
Furthermore, there exist rather confusingly only partially overlapping, partially contradictory lists of anniversary gifts (such as wedding stones), separate from the 'traditional' names.
The concepts of a person's birthday stone, birth stone and zodiac stone, by contrast, are fixed for life according to the day of the week, month or astrological sign corresponding to the recipient's birthday.



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