As I mentioned in my previous post I recently celebrated my 8th Wedding Anniversary.
My husband and I both think it is important to mark these special days. I know a lot of people don’t bother to mark every anniversary and holidays such a Valentine’s day sometimes get bad press with the cynics protesting that if couples are truly in love then this should be reflected in their daily lives rather than requiring a special holiday to remind them to tell each other how much they mean to each other.
Whilst I agree in principal with this sentiment and try to show my husband how much I appreciate him every day; let’s face it, with the pressures of modern life it is difficult to maintain the initial flush of romance on an ongoing long term basis. After 13 years of being with the same person a lot of the mystery is gone, you have fewer “firsts” to look forward to and you will have had to deal with times of difficulty and hardship together as this is a part of life.
So every year my husband and I try to mark the occasion and often consult the internet to review the Anniversary Symbols to provide us with inspiration when choosing a suitable gift for one another.
Apparently anniversary celebrations began in medieval times. When a couple had been married for 25 years the husband would place a wreath of silver on his wife’s head and at 50 years, a wreath of gold. This practice has progressed over the years with different symbols attached to each year of married life.
There are four lists that I have discovered: Traditional, Modern, Flowers and Gemstones. We mix and match depending on how easy it is to match the material to a suitable gift to suit our personal tastes.
8 years of married life is assigned the following symbols:
Traditional: Bronze/Pottery
Modern: Lace/Linen
Flower: Clemitis
Gemstone: Tourmaline/Tanzanite
If you turn the figure 8 on its side it is the symbol of infinity and the symbolism of that is self explanatory. The other possible choices have the following attached meanings:
Bronze, an amalgam of tin and copper, represents a strong marriage formed by the joining of two individuals as a couple. It emphasises love and a high priority on spending time together.
Pottery is formed from clay, and so represents the moulding of the marriage relationship into something beautiful.
Clematis, a beautiful star-shaped flower that can be white, pink, red or purple symbolizes ingenuity or resourcefulness
Tourmaline, a gemstone believed by the Romans to be susceptible to solar influences. It is said to have the power to “disperse fears and melancholic passions.” It was also worn to gain inspiration, to attract favours, and to secure friends.
Having reviewed this list (and my bank balance) we have decided that as money is tight at this time of year (as my part time position stops during the school holidays) we are going to think outside the box. As we have already made plans to travel to Mexico for a well earned break in the sun, we will go with the Bronze option but rather than exchange ornamental statues we will rely on the Mexican sun to provide us with bronze skin and hopefully some more happy memories.
Zehira-blog 