Happy Platinum Jubilee!
February 8, 2018
On the 1st wedding anniversary give the gift of paper. On the 10th –tin (I guess a can of string beans would work). On the 25th-silver. On the 60th-diamonds. But what do you give someone on their 70th wedding anniversary? And what is the 70th anniversary even called?
The tradition of gift giving on wedding anniversaries actually started in the medieval period. In the Holy Roman Empire, husbands gave their wives a silver garland on their 25th anniversary and then a golden wreath on their 50th anniversary. Thankfully, Emily Post, an American writer, wrote a book entitled, Etiquette (published in 1922), in which she solved the issue of what to give on an anniversary. Post attempted to fill in the gaps a bit and drew up a list of anniversary themes, however, she only did so for the 1st, 5th, and then every fifth anniversary up to the 25th wedding anniversary. Then in 1937, The American National Retail Jeweler Association added to Post’s list by including all years up to 14 and every 5th year up to 50 years of marriage!
A contemporary list was created more recently, and all anniversary years from 1-30, and every 5th year up to 75 years of marriage have now been assigned a theme, or material gift. Thankfully, this modern list is helpful to me as my parents celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary today! So what do you give someone on this grand occasion? Apparently you give the gift of platinum on this Platinum Jubilee occasion!
Over 2 million couples find themselves walking down the aisle in the U.S. each year (an average of 6,000+ weddings a day) with more than $72 billion being spent on the ceremonies (average wedding budget is $20K). However, only about .07 have the privilege of celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary!
My parents were married on a snowy Sunday, February 8, 1948, with a lean roast beef sandwich budget for their wedding reception, and they have been sharing sandwiches ever since! And their secret to a lasting marriage? No secret, just hanging in there!
Happy 70th anniversary Mom and Dad! Platinum may be the gift of the day, but your marriage and the two of you are PRICELESS! Thanks for hanging in there and for being such an incredible example of covenant love to our family and to all who know you!
*As an interesting aside–my parents’ big day may be overshadowed by the Eagles’ Parade, and that’s okay, because my parents, who have had season tickets every year of their marriage, finally witnessed the Eagles win a Super Bowl!