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What are the Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

The traditional wedding anniversary gift categories are not universally agreed upon. Some years offer a choice, depending on which source you look at. Here is a conglomeration of several sources to show the range of categories considered standard for the most commonly celebrated years.

Anniversary Gift
First Paper
Second Cotton/Calico
Third Leather/Linen
Fourth Fruit/Flowers/Silk/Linen
Fifth Wood
Sixth Iron/Candy
Seventh Copper/Wool
Eighth Pottery/Bronze
Ninth Willow/Pottery/Straw/China
Tenth Tin/Aluminum
Eleventh Steel
Twelfth Silk/Linen
Thirteenth Lace
Fourteenth Ivory
Fifteenth Crystal
Twentieth China
Twenty-Fifth Silver
Thirtieth Pearl
Thirty-Fifth Coral/Jade
Fortieth Ruby
Forty-Fifth Sapphire
Fiftieth Gold
Fifty-Fifth Emerald
Sixtieth Diamond
Seventy-Fifth Diamond/Gold
Diamonds are a traditional 60th wedding anniversary gift.
Diamonds are a traditional 60th wedding anniversary gift.

Some of these categories have particular types of gifts associated with them, and some may not seem obvious. Paper, for example, is often interpreted to mean a calligraphy poem, a book, or a framed paper of some importance to the couple, including a photograph. Cotton or calico can take the form of a special item of clothing or an especially attractive quilt or tapestry. Leather items include leather-bound books or albums, jewelry cases, wallets, purses, and garments.

An iron lantern might make a good sixth anniversary gift.
An iron lantern might make a good sixth anniversary gift.

Fruit and flower anniversary gifts include elaborate food baskets and live plants, and can cover both categories at once with the gift of a fruit bearing tree, such as a cherry. Wooden items included carved statuary, jewelry boxes and music boxes, but also live trees and wooden furniture. Iron items include garden furniture and other decorations, wine racks, lanterns, and decorative wrought iron pieces.

Quilts are considered traditional wedding anniversary gifts.
Quilts are considered traditional wedding anniversary gifts.

Copper can take the form of sculpture, canisters, vessels, lanterns, vases, or jewelry, while wool can be fine blankets, throws, shawls, or other attire or furnishings. Pottery can include dinnerware, and for the punster, the combination of pottery and willow could lead to willow ware, the popular pattern developed by Josiah Spode from a Chinese pattern. One could also turn to wicker, which is often made of willow, for an anniversary gift. There are many possibilities for each year, and it can be fun to see how creative one can be, merging tradition with personal taste and style.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to WiseGEEK about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

bbpuff

@ellaesans - I don't think anniversary ecards count for paper - even if you printed them out. You would essentially end up with a traditional anniversary card anyhow, but just save a little money and/or a trip to the store to find it.

There are lots of anniversary gift ideas out there, especially on the internet and wiseGEEK. I love to gather information first and then decide on a final decision later when it comes to gifts - anniversary or not.

ellaesans

@bbpuff - I know what you mean about the whole card ordeal! Although they are sweet when couple with anniversary poems. I wonder what an e-card would be considered or if you could get away with sending one instead of paper? It would traditionally be ON a piece of paper, wouldn't it? So could it count?

bbpuff

@abiane - Anniversary ideas always seem to be lacking. I think it would have been hard without this article to come up with something other than a stupid anniversary card for the paper. Thank goodness I stopped by here in order to get a little more information!

abiane

I think everyone looks up this information at one point or another in their marriage and I, myself, have always found it to be interesting. I like the fact that people still stick with these tradition anniversary presents even though I am a non-traditionalist myself.

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    • Diamonds are a traditional 60th wedding anniversary gift.
      Diamonds are a traditional 60th wedding anniversary gift.
    • An iron lantern might make a good sixth anniversary gift.
      By: nito
      An iron lantern might make a good sixth anniversary gift.
    • Quilts are considered traditional wedding anniversary gifts.
      By: africanway
      Quilts are considered traditional wedding anniversary gifts.
    • The fortieth wedding anniversary traditionally garners a ruby.
      By: Igor Kali
      The fortieth wedding anniversary traditionally garners a ruby.
    • Traditional wedding anniversary gifts may include jewelry boxes.
      By: Terry Morris
      Traditional wedding anniversary gifts may include jewelry boxes.
    • Sapphire is traditionally the gift for the forty-fifth wedding anniversary.
      By: alarsonphoto
      Sapphire is traditionally the gift for the forty-fifth wedding anniversary.
    • Anniversary gifts may include perfume.
      By: raven
      Anniversary gifts may include perfume.
    • Leather goods, such as a wallet, are traditional gifts for the third wedding anniversary.
      By: Anke van Wyk
      Leather goods, such as a wallet, are traditional gifts for the third wedding anniversary.
    • Jewelry is a nice, traditional anniversary gift.
      By: Anna Khomulo
      Jewelry is a nice, traditional anniversary gift.