Anniversary Gifts
Overview/History
Husbands and wives have been exchanging anniversary flowers and gifts to mark the occasion of their marriage for centuries - as far back as the Holy Roman Empire in the 1500s! During those days, upon their 25th wedding anniversary, husbands would gift their wives with a silver flower crown and upon their 50th wedding anniversary, husbands would bestow a golden wreath. Each of these remarkable anniversaries was celebrated with the families as a blessing and something to be celebrated. While this tradition, which is very Germanic in origin, would persist for hundreds of years it gave way to more intimate gifting between couples giving each other accessible gifts inspired by daily life.
“Big” anniversaries have a longer history of more extravagant gifts - think 5th, 10th, 20th, 25th, and so on - but as time went on people sought to find a more extensive list to celebrate their love. Thus anniversaries in the US and UK are often associated with a traditional gift.
These gifts are usually practical - and often more affordable for “younger” anniversaries - and have shifted somewhat throughout the years but retain their popularity.
