digg this   del.icio.us   stumble it

Anniversary Gifts: Modern versus Traditional Trends

Gone are the days of giving paper or cotton for a first or second anniversary. With the changing times, the anniversary gift etiquette has changed. As society moves more towards affluence, so do the gifts that define us. Of course, you can always just choose something you deem appropriate, something that is truly thoughtful and from the heart.

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.

Desk sets mark our increasing focus on business as a gift for a seventh anniversary, replacing wool and copper. Linens and lace for the eighth speak to our increased sense of luxury, replacing the more utilitarian bronze or pottery. And leather makes its appearance at the ninth anniversary, replacing gifts made from willow.

Jewelry, in the traditional anniversary gifts, did not figure until the 25th anniversary. Now, the 10th anniversary is marked with diamond jewelry. It may not be exorbitantly priced, but the jump to diamonds at the 10th is a reflection on the increase in the divorce rate. Ten years of married life is considered a great accomplishment in today's world.

Generally, modern anniversary gifts are far more expensive than their traditional counterparts. Fashion jewelry is given on the 11th anniversary and pearls, traditionally given on the 30th anniversary, are now given on the twelfth. The 13th anniversary is marked by textiles or furs, the 14th by gold jewelry, and the 15th by watches for him and her.

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.

Rate this Article : 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5   (Not yet Rated)