LAST week’s article was about some ways that you can use to plan a wedding in six months. It is a short period, but some ideas can be brought to life; and a memorable wedding you can definitely have.
This week on Thursday to be specific is a special day for me and my husband as we will be celebrating our wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary to you all who will be celebrating this month, as we celebrate our wedding anniversary it is vital to learn how this celebration came about.
An anniversary is a day that celebrates or commemorates a past event that occurred on the same date of the year as the initial event.
Wedding anniversaries are often regarded as private celebrations by couples. However, once a couple has been celebrating their anniversary for several years secretly, they might want a public gathering.
A wedding anniversary is a special occasion that celebrates the union of two human beings who lovingly share their joys together. An anniversary symbolizes the timelessness of love we owe our thanks to our forefathers who develop this beautiful idea of celebrating anniversaries.
The history of wedding anniversary reveals that in the beginning idea behind celebration of anniversary was to de-stress and break the monotony of everyday life. However, it is gladdening to note that the concept beautifully developed into the tradition of rekindling the feeling of love every year with a promise to fortify marital vows with trust and affection.
Man has been celebrating the change of season but that was not enough. They wanted celebrations to go on around the year so they began to celebrate wedding anniversaries too.
At that time, the date of anniversary was easier, big and get together which was organised about twice a year and all the eligible bachelors were paired off with unmarried girls of marriageable age.
The idea became an instant hit with the people. This simple tradition changed when individual marriage ceremonies began to take place.
In the medieval times only milestone anniversaries like 25th and 50th were celebrated to mark the occasion of silver or 25th wedding anniversary, a husband would crown his wife with a wreath of silver and likewise, he presented her a wreath of gold on a golden or 50th wedding anniversary.
By middle to late 1930’s people began to celebrate, 1st, 10th and 70th anniversary along with 25th and 50th.
A gift for each of these milestone anniversary years was also decided by the society. The logic of presenting gifts was that stability deserves a reward and the more the stability the greater should be the reward.
Wedding anniversaries are the most celebrated events in one’s life.
Today of course people celebrate each year of the anniversary, some even go to the extent of celebrating the landmarks days of their anniversary like 100 or 1000th day of their anniversary.
In present times, there are clearly defined list of traditional and modern gifts for each anniversary year. There is also a set list of stone gifts by anniversary year and a list of flowers by anniversary.
Wedding anniversary is also believed to have been invented or proposed by a woman, who after so many years after their first wedding and now with a family became bored that even her husband had neglected their anniversary, so the only solution was to make this date memorable by commemorating it.
Ever wondered what the name of each wedding anniversary is, well here is a complete list of all the original traditional names and modern equivalents. The 1st wedding anniversary its traditional name (TN) is paper as there is a lot to write about, while the modern name (MN) is clock.
One Zambian musician from the old school did a song which talked about a husband be termed as time, wherever you go to as a wife always remember your husband, have a picture of him in your mind just like we are always conscious to know what time it is. A husband is as important as time.
For the number of strength that is 2nd anniversary cotton is the TN in United Kingdom they call this as paper, then china is MN, 3rd anniversary leather for TN and crystal or glass used as the MN and 3  is the number for divine power.
The number that symbolizes the earth is 4, linen is used as the MN and fruit or flowers are TN for the 4th anniversary.
Celebrating this anniversary you need to take your spouse for lunch or dinner just to be away from home and children because much attention is given to the children and less time for yourselves.
The TN for the 5th anniversary is wood and silver ware as MN, 6th anniversary iron is for TN while sweet and sugar. The number for perfection or complete is 7, on the 7th anniversary it requires more worth celebrations and should not be forgotten wood/ copper is the TN and the MN is desk set.
It is good to learn that bronze is TN and bronze/ pottery for the 8th anniversary, for 9th anniversary TN is willow/ copper and linen/ lace.
Total or power symbolises the number 10, on this anniversary the TN that was given is tin/ aluminum then leather as the MN, 11th anniversary steel is the TN while jewelry as MN, for 12th anniversary the TN and MN is pearls wow! 12 is the number that symbolizes completeness.
The TN for the 13th anniversary is lace then textiles/ fur is used as the MN, 14th anniversary ivory is the TN and gold jewelry for MN, 15th anniversary the TN is crystal then watches for MN.
China/ porcelain is the TN then platinum for MN for the 20th anniversary which is one of the big milestone anniversaries, as you celebrate this special wedding anniversary reflect the commitment to a life time marriage, 25th anniversary silver is used for both TN and MN, 30th anniversary pearl/ ivory is for TN and diamond as MN we all want to shine bright like diamonds, 35th anniversary the TN is coral and jade for MN, for the 40th and 45th anniversary the same name is used for TN and MN ruby and sapphire respectively.
For 50th anniversary this is very important as it is also called the golden jubilee the TN is gold, MN is gold, 55th anniversary emerald is used for both TN and MN. Diamond is used for both TN and MN for the 60th anniversary, then blue sapphire is the one that is used for 65th anniversary for both TN and MN, 70th anniversary TN and MN is platinum and diamond for 75th anniversary TN and MN and finally 100th anniversary centenary/ platinum is used for both TN and MN.
Before the mid-late 1930’s not all wedding anniversaries had a material representing the year, only the first anniversary and milestone anniversaries such as 10th, 20th, 25th, 50th and 70th had a gift suggestion and these are the years when more materials were added and gifts list updated and modernised by various American and British commercial companies.
As we celebrate our wedding and marriage anniversaries it should not only be about chocolates, flowers, shoes, dresses or dinner in the first 2 years, then it fades away completely and it turns into each one for himself and God for us all and mind your own business.
Anniversaries are constant reminders to us, that each year we need to know how our marriage has been and plans for the future now that you have children what next, this is the time to go out and communicate, let the love grow and always have quality time for each other, keep the fire burning.
Children are not a barrier to you for not having quality time, you must create enough time for each other.
Never compare your spouse to someone else or regret getting married to them that was your choice, others say if they could tell what lied ahead they wouldn’t have married their current spouse, but the reality is that you had the right to choose what was best for you.
Make your marriage the way you want it to be and not the way others have made theirs so discuss all these with your spouse. Marriage is God’s idea, He said it is not good for man to be alone so a helpmate was made, so make sure that when resolving issues that you may have, first put your emotions in order and then resolve or talk about them calmly.
Enjoy your marriage, pray without ceasing, your prayer should be that God will grant you wisdom to function in this sacred institution and always look forward to your wedding anniversary.
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