Anniversary Traditions
by Ken Heath
Here's a listing of the Traditional Anniversary gifts with suggestions ranging from the romantic and inexpensive to the really, really extravagant ...Enjoy!
First
Paper
Sweet & Simple: Hand-made paper (you can find affordable kits at most art stores, and even at some book stores)
Glitz & Glamour: A highway billboard announcing your anniversary and proclaiming your undying love
Second
Cotton Sweet & Simple: A selection of sexy cotton underwear
Glitz & Glamour: Exquisite all-cotton sheets on a new four-poster bed
Third
Leather Sweet & Simple: Those stilettos or wing tips you've seen him or her eyeing
Glitz & Glamour: A hand-crafted English riding saddle complete with a stallion
Fourth
Linen Sweet & Simple: Linen pillowcases
Glitz & Glamour: An appointment at the tailor, who will make your sweetie his or her dream linen suit or dress
Fifth
Wood Sweet & Simple: A romantic tete-a-tete in front of a roaring wood-burning fireplace
Glitz & Glamour: A log cabin on an acre of forested property in the country
Sixth
Iron Sweet & Simple: His or her own four-iron, engraved with a romantic message, plus a night at the driving range with all the balls he or she can drive with his or her new club
Glitz & Glamour: The full set of clubs, with a different romantic expression engraved onto each piece, with monogrammed velvet club covers and an ideal tee- time at his or her favorite country club
Seventh
Wool Sweet & Simple: Learn to knit and make your love a scarf
Glitz & Glamour: A little lambykins to roam the land on your country home
Eighth
Bronze Sweet & Simple: A day at the beach, after which you'll both be more or less bronzed
Glitz & Glamour: A bronze replica of Rodin's most romantic sculpture, The Kiss
Ninth
Pottery Sweet & Simple: A set of groovy teacups bought in Chinatown
Glitz & Glamour: Genuine Italian majolica
Tenth
Tin or Aluminum Sweet & Simple: Promise you'll handle the recycling chores for this whole anniversary year
Glitz & Glamour: A brand-new Volkswagen Beetle (it's close enough to aluminum, don't you think?)
11th
Steel Sweet & Simple: An Eiffel Tower keychain
Glitz & Glamour: A private plane and flying lessons
12th
Silk Sweet & Simple: A pair of Chinese-print slippers
Glitz & Glamour: A silk purse (for her) or silk satchel (for him), plus, why don't you throw in a set of silk sheets
13th
Lace Sweet & Simple: New shoe laces for every pair or his or her tie-up shoes
Glitz & Glamour: A pair of tickets to Bruges, Belgium, famous for their incredible lace
14th
Ivory Sweet & Simple: A trip for two to the circus, where the ivory is still firmly attached to its rightful owners
Glitz & Glamour: A baby grand piano (even though the white keys are no longer made of ivory) and a series of music lessons
15th
Crystal Sweet & Simple: Two crystal goblets and a bottle of wine
Glitz & Glamour: A shopping trip to Waterford, England, home of the world's most famous crystal
16th
Peridot
(a deep yellowish-green gem)
Sweet & Simple: A tube of artist's paint, or an artist's marker, in this exact color
Glitz & Glamour: A golden ring in which a peridot is embedded
17th
Watches Sweet & Simple: Take his or her favorite broken watch (the one abandoned long ago in the drawer) to the repair shop, have it fixed once and for all, then present it in a jewelry box good as new
Glitz & Glamour: A Patek Philippe Neptune watch
18th
Cat's eye Sweet & Simple: A cat
Glitz & Glamour: A safari in Africa, complete with the big cats running about, during which you present your mate with a cat's-eye ring
19th
Aquamarine Sweet & Simple: A romantic afternoon at the nearest aquarium, followed by a delicious seafood dinner
Glitz & Glamour: A beachfront condo
20th
China Sweet & Simple: two dinner plates in your favorite china pattern, which you christen with a romantic homemade supper
Glitz & Glamour: What else -- a slow boat to China full of R&R and romance galore, followed of course by a tour of the Great Wall
25th
Silver Sweet & Simple: A frame box featuring a series of quarters, one from each of the 25 years you've been married, starting with the current year and ending with the year you wed
Glitz & Glamour: A silver sports utility vehicle with silver-plated accents inside (i.e. door handles, upholstery buttons, etc.)
30th
Pearls Sweet & Simple: An oyster dinner and a philosophy book full of pearls of wisdom
Glitz & Glamour: A visit to a pearl farm in the Far East
35th
Coral or Jade Sweet & Simple: The movie Jade on video
Glitz & Glamour: An underwater scuba diving exploration of the Great Coral Reef in Australia
40th
Rubies Sweet & Simple: Flowers by the Rolling Stones (includes the song "Ruby Tuesday")
Glitz & Glamour: A ruby ring or tie tack, presented to your honey on your way to London to visit with the Crown Jewels
45th
Sapphires Sweet & Simple: A shoreline drive of the closest sapphire-blue body of water
Glitz & Glamour: A brand-spanking-new, sapphire-colored convertible BMW
50th
Gold Sweet & Simple: A few of his or her favorite golden oldies on CD, and/or his or her favorite movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood on video
Glitz & Glamour: A cruise down the Gold Coast of Ghana in West Africa
55th
Emeralds Sweet & Simple: Paint something green for him or her -- whether it be a room in your home, a car, or the home itself
Glitz & Glamour: A trip to the Emerald Isle of Ireland and a kiss on the Blarney Stone
60th
Diamonds Sweet & Simple: A heart-shaped locket decorated with a diamond chip (to encase photos of your grandchildren) or a pair of diamond-chip cuff links
Glitz & Glamour: For her, a diamond tiara (hey, she's earned royal status after all these years, right?) and for him, partial or full ownership of his favorite baseball team (he'll be in control of his own type of diamond)
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First
Paper
Sweet & Simple: Hand-made paper (you can find affordable kits at most art stores, and even at some book stores)
Glitz & Glamour: A highway billboard announcing your anniversary and proclaiming your undying love
Second
Cotton Sweet & Simple: A selection of sexy cotton underwear
Glitz & Glamour: Exquisite all-cotton sheets on a new four-poster bed
Third
Leather Sweet & Simple: Those stilettos or wing tips you've seen him or her eyeing
Glitz & Glamour: A hand-crafted English riding saddle complete with a stallion
Fourth
Linen Sweet & Simple: Linen pillowcases
Glitz & Glamour: An appointment at the tailor, who will make your sweetie his or her dream linen suit or dress
Fifth
Wood Sweet & Simple: A romantic tete-a-tete in front of a roaring wood-burning fireplace
Glitz & Glamour: A log cabin on an acre of forested property in the country
Sixth
Iron Sweet & Simple: His or her own four-iron, engraved with a romantic message, plus a night at the driving range with all the balls he or she can drive with his or her new club
Glitz & Glamour: The full set of clubs, with a different romantic expression engraved onto each piece, with monogrammed velvet club covers and an ideal tee- time at his or her favorite country club
Seventh
Wool Sweet & Simple: Learn to knit and make your love a scarf
Glitz & Glamour: A little lambykins to roam the land on your country home
Eighth
Bronze Sweet & Simple: A day at the beach, after which you'll both be more or less bronzed
Glitz & Glamour: A bronze replica of Rodin's most romantic sculpture, The Kiss
Ninth
Pottery Sweet & Simple: A set of groovy teacups bought in Chinatown
Glitz & Glamour: Genuine Italian majolica
Tenth
Tin or Aluminum Sweet & Simple: Promise you'll handle the recycling chores for this whole anniversary year
Glitz & Glamour: A brand-new Volkswagen Beetle (it's close enough to aluminum, don't you think?)
11th
Steel Sweet & Simple: An Eiffel Tower keychain
Glitz & Glamour: A private plane and flying lessons
12th
Silk Sweet & Simple: A pair of Chinese-print slippers
Glitz & Glamour: A silk purse (for her) or silk satchel (for him), plus, why don't you throw in a set of silk sheets
13th
Lace Sweet & Simple: New shoe laces for every pair or his or her tie-up shoes
Glitz & Glamour: A pair of tickets to Bruges, Belgium, famous for their incredible lace
14th
Ivory Sweet & Simple: A trip for two to the circus, where the ivory is still firmly attached to its rightful owners
Glitz & Glamour: A baby grand piano (even though the white keys are no longer made of ivory) and a series of music lessons
15th
Crystal Sweet & Simple: Two crystal goblets and a bottle of wine
Glitz & Glamour: A shopping trip to Waterford, England, home of the world's most famous crystal
16th
Peridot
(a deep yellowish-green gem)
Sweet & Simple: A tube of artist's paint, or an artist's marker, in this exact color
Glitz & Glamour: A golden ring in which a peridot is embedded
17th
Watches Sweet & Simple: Take his or her favorite broken watch (the one abandoned long ago in the drawer) to the repair shop, have it fixed once and for all, then present it in a jewelry box good as new
Glitz & Glamour: A Patek Philippe Neptune watch
18th
Cat's eye Sweet & Simple: A cat
Glitz & Glamour: A safari in Africa, complete with the big cats running about, during which you present your mate with a cat's-eye ring
19th
Aquamarine Sweet & Simple: A romantic afternoon at the nearest aquarium, followed by a delicious seafood dinner
Glitz & Glamour: A beachfront condo
20th
China Sweet & Simple: two dinner plates in your favorite china pattern, which you christen with a romantic homemade supper
Glitz & Glamour: What else -- a slow boat to China full of R&R and romance galore, followed of course by a tour of the Great Wall
25th
Silver Sweet & Simple: A frame box featuring a series of quarters, one from each of the 25 years you've been married, starting with the current year and ending with the year you wed
Glitz & Glamour: A silver sports utility vehicle with silver-plated accents inside (i.e. door handles, upholstery buttons, etc.)
30th
Pearls Sweet & Simple: An oyster dinner and a philosophy book full of pearls of wisdom
Glitz & Glamour: A visit to a pearl farm in the Far East
35th
Coral or Jade Sweet & Simple: The movie Jade on video
Glitz & Glamour: An underwater scuba diving exploration of the Great Coral Reef in Australia
40th
Rubies Sweet & Simple: Flowers by the Rolling Stones (includes the song "Ruby Tuesday")
Glitz & Glamour: A ruby ring or tie tack, presented to your honey on your way to London to visit with the Crown Jewels
45th
Sapphires Sweet & Simple: A shoreline drive of the closest sapphire-blue body of water
Glitz & Glamour: A brand-spanking-new, sapphire-colored convertible BMW
50th
Gold Sweet & Simple: A few of his or her favorite golden oldies on CD, and/or his or her favorite movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood on video
Glitz & Glamour: A cruise down the Gold Coast of Ghana in West Africa
55th
Emeralds Sweet & Simple: Paint something green for him or her -- whether it be a room in your home, a car, or the home itself
Glitz & Glamour: A trip to the Emerald Isle of Ireland and a kiss on the Blarney Stone
60th
Diamonds Sweet & Simple: A heart-shaped locket decorated with a diamond chip (to encase photos of your grandchildren) or a pair of diamond-chip cuff links
Glitz & Glamour: For her, a diamond tiara (hey, she's earned royal status after all these years, right?) and for him, partial or full ownership of his favorite baseball team (he'll be in control of his own type of diamond)
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