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Aluminium
anniversary
Metals are often used as symbols for
the length of time two people have been married. The most famous wedding
anniversaries are the 25th, the Silver wedding anniversary, and the
50th, the Golden wedding anniversary.
There is, however, also an "Aluminium anniversary". While the
English-speaking countries seem to have settled on 10 years as the aluminium
anniversary (tin is also used for this anniversary), Germany has taken
this metal to celebrate 37 1/2 years of marriage! Germans also have it
a lot easier when calculating which anniversary they are celebrating:
When they get married, they are presented with a "Familienbuch" or "family
book" which contains details of the marriage and room for the addition
of children. The book also contains suggested names for children (usually
of a very old Germanic nature) and a list of anniversaries.
The much less orderly English-speaking countries cannot even agree
on whether the first or the second anniversary is the Paper one and the
British even manage to have two Diamond anniversaries. Originally, the
Diamond anniversary was the 75th, but when Queen Victoria celebrated her
Diamond Jubilee after 60 years on the throne, this also became the practice
for wedding anniversaries.
A comparison of English and German anniversaries:
| • 1 |
Paper or cotton |
Paper or cotton |
| • 5 |
Wooden |
Wooden |
| • 6 1/2 |
– |
Tin |
| • 7 |
Woollen |
Copper |
| • 8 |
Bronze |
Metal |
| • 10 |
Aluminium or tin |
Rose |
| • 12 1/2 |
– |
Nickel or parsley |
| • 15 |
Crystal or Glass |
Glass |
| • 20 |
China |
China |
| • 25 |
Silver |
Silver |
| • 30 |
Pearl |
Pearl |
| • 35 |
Coral |
Canvas |
| • 37 1/2 |
– |
Aluminium |
| • 40 |
Ruby |
Ruby |
| • 50 |
Golden |
Golden |
| • 60 |
Diamond |
Diamond |
| • 67 1/2 |
– |
Stone |
| • 70 |
Platinum |
Grace |
| • 75 |
Diamond (again) |
Crown Jewels |
You can now surprise your spouse with an anniversary gift made from
the appropriate material. But you should remember, that while the traditional
names remain, in some countries the gifts have been updated. For instance,
clocks are presented on the 1st anniversary, leather gifts on the 9th
or textiles and furs on the 13th.
 Overview
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