Traditional Anniversary Gifts

Your fifth anniversary is a big milestone, and one you should celebrate happily—after all, you’re 1/10 of the way to year 50! But it’s not time to start giving gold yet; on the contrary, “wood” is the word for your fifth year together, and, if you’re feeling kinda modern, so is “silverware.” With so many options for wooden gifts—from furniture to cutting boards to Jenga to, well, trees—it can be difficult to sift through your options and choose something that’s sure to speak to your spouse. That’s where we come in, with an uncommon spin on ten traditional fifth anniversary gift ideas, like clocks, cutting boards, picture frames, and wall art… plus, as always, one modern-themed gift to quench your thirst for the contemporary. Read on below.

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Four years in and the Fs keep coming, by which, of course, we mean “fruit” and “flowers,” the two alliterative gifts traditionally given to mark your fourth anniversary. “But wait,” you stammer. “You sell fresh fruit?” Well, no. “And fresh flowers?” Again—negatory. Could we rightfully call ourselves uncommon if we sold stuff you could get at your nearest corner store? I think not. All the more reason why the fruity, flowery gifts we do sell, from pens made with rose petals, seeds, and stems to copper cuffs covered in layers of specially dried and thinly sliced fruit, are so special. Read on for ten of our top fourth anniversary picks—five floral, five fruity—and, as always, one additional pick for our modern cohorts. (This time, you get your very own appliance.)

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You’re three years in, and the gifts you’re picking are getting a bit more sturdy—just like the foundation of your relationship. In the latest installment of our series of guides to picking anniversary gifts, we’re tackling leather, the material traditionally used to toast your third anniversary… in theory, anyway. Here at UncommonGoods, we actually don’t sell any products that contain leather, feathers, or fur, thanks in part to our vegetarian founder, Dave Bolotsky. Thankfully, we carry plenty of animal-friendly goods made from sturdy vegan leather alternatives, some as innovative as dried-and-dyed strips of orange peel. Check out some of our top picks to celebrate your third anniversary in conscious style below, plus one bonus selection for the modern-minded among us.

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Congratulations—you’ve nearly ticked two years off since your wedding! Here you stand on the threshold of your second anniversary. What do you get your sweetheart? Well, tradition says year two’s the time to give cotton, which means that the obvious choices include bathrobes, nice sheets, and novelty T-shirts, if you’re feeling a little bit funny. But… what’s that? You’re looking for something a hint more… uncommon? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with second anniversary-friendly gifts that range from do-it-yourself painting kits to customizable wall art and comfy throws. Read on for ten of our best traditional recommendations, plus a little something for the modern among us.

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Although it may seem like a modern invention—much as Valentine’s Day is allegedly a racket concocted by greeting card companies to, well, sell more greeting cards—the custom of giving special gifts to commemorate one’s wedding anniversary has, in fact, been traced to years gone by. We’re talking long, long ago, way back to the era of the Holy Roman Empire, when husbands first began to bestow silver wreaths upon their wives in honor of their 25th year together, with golden wreaths reserved for their 50th.

So where’d we get the “traditional” year-by-year list of anniversary gifts? It’s a bit of a mystery. (And if you’d rather get a head start on your shopping than read about any more gift-giving history, click here.) Although the Victorians likely expanded a bit upon the practice, by 1937, only eight anniversaries were considered indispensable gift-giving occasions: the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th. We do know that that year, the American National Retail Jewelers’ Association released a new, more comprehensive list of anniversary gifts by year, now known as the “modern” list, identifying a unique material to confer upon your sweetheart for each year through the first 25 and for every fifth year after that, extending all the way through to the lofty milestone of the 90th anniversary.

While we’re hardly slaves to tradition—heck, “uncommon” is half of our brand name—we here at UncommonGoods thought it a worthy challenge to make our way through the traditional list of anniversary gifts by year and select some of our most uncommon offerings for each, all the way up to the big 5-0. First up: the first anniversary, customarily marked by the giving of gifts made of paper.

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