Historians can trace
Historians can trace the origins of silver and golden anniversaries to medieval Germany, where garlands made of these metals were presented as gifts for the 25th and 50th years of marriage. The rest of the list may not be as traditional as you think. I was surprised to learn that the traditional list, as we know it today, did not exist until 1937. In that year, the American National Retail Jeweler Association published a list, which associated a material for each Anniversary up to the 15th year and then each fifth year after that up to the 60th Anniversary. The following is the materials list from 1937, through the 60th year:
* First – Paper
* Second – Cotton
* Third – Leather
* Fourth – Fruit/Flowers
* Fifth – Wood
* Sixth – Candy/Iron
* Seventh – Wool/Copper
* Eighth – Bronze/Pottery
* Ninth – Pottery/Willow
* Tenth – Tin/Aluminum
* Eleventh – Steel
* Twelfth – Silk/Linen
* Thirteenth – Lace
* Fourteenth – Ivory
* Fifteenth – Crystal
* Twentieth – China
* Twenty-Fifth – Silver
* Thirtieth – Pearl
* Thirty-Fifth – Coral
* Fortieth – Ruby
* Forty-Fifth – Sapphire
* Fiftieth – Gold
* Fifty-fifth – Emerald
* Sixtieth – Diamond
The modern anniversary materials list presents us with a contemporary, easier to use alternative.
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