Home | Society | Relationships
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. Modern anniversary gifts cater to the changing desires of society. From the traditional paper gifts for the first anniversary the trend has changed to giving a clock instead. For the second anniversary, china is preferred, and for the third it is crystal or glass. This is a clear shift from utility items like paper, cotton, leather to fancy decorative things. Fourth anniversaries are marked with appliances rather than fruit or flowers, and we give silverware as a fifth anniversary gift instead of wood. Wood still remains on the list, however, for the sixth anniversary (instead of candy or iron). And, quite often, the wood is in the form of figures or some sort of antique, rather than wood for the fire or a chair made of wood for sitting. The seventh anniversary gift typically reflects our increasing focus on business in the form of desk sets instead of Wool and copper. For the eighth anniversary, bronze or pottery are out and the trend is for linens and lace that reflect our increased sense of luxury. And leather has taken the place of gifts made from willow for the ninth anniversary. 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. The rest of the anniversary gift giving etiquette is more or less the same for both modern and traditional: ruby marks the 40th, sapphire the 45th, gold the 50th, emerald the 55th and diamond the 60th.
Article Source: http://www.approvedarticles.com
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
