---
title: Anniversary Gifts by Year: Traditional and Modern, 1 to 60
description: The full wedding anniversary gift list, year 1 to 60: traditional gift, modern gift, flower and colour for each year, with a note on where the published lists disagree.
canonical: https://paperanniversarygift.com/anniversary-gifts-by-year/
last-updated: 2026-09-08
---

# Anniversary gifts by year, 1 to 60

The full wedding anniversary gift list, year 1 to 60: traditional gift, modern gift, flower and colour for each year, with a note on where the published lists disagree.

## Read this before quoting the table

These lists genuinely vary between countries and between published sources. The
traditional list is older and largely European; the modern list was assembled in
the United States in the twentieth century. Where sources disagree, the common
alternative is given after a slash. This is one widely used version, not the
single authoritative one, because there is no single authoritative one.

## The full list

| Year | Traditional | Modern | Flower | Colour |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Paper | Clocks | Carnation | Gold, yellow |
| 2 | Cotton | China | Lily of the valley | Red, linen white |
| 3 | Leather | Crystal, glass | Sunflower | White, jade green |
| 4 | Linen, silk / fruit and flowers | Appliances | Hydrangea, geranium | Blue, green |
| 5 | Wood | Silverware | Daisy | Blue, pink |
| 6 | Iron / candy | Wood | Calla lily | Purple, turquoise |
| 7 | Wool, copper | Desk sets | Freesia | Onyx, yellow |
| 8 | Bronze, pottery | Linens, lace | Lilac | Bronze, tourmaline |
| 9 | Pottery, willow | Leather | Bird of paradise | Terracotta |
| 10 | Tin, aluminium | Diamond jewellery | Daffodil | Silver, blue |
| 11 | Steel | Fashion jewellery | Tulip | Turquoise |
| 12 | Silk, linen | Pearls | Peony | Oyster white |
| 13 | Lace | Textiles, furs | Chrysanthemum | White |
| 14 | Ivory (agate today) | Gold jewellery | Dahlia | Opal |
| 15 | Crystal | Watches | Rose | Red, ruby |
| 16 | Not established | Silver holloware | Magnolia | Silver |
| 17 | Not established | Furniture | Carnation | Yellow |
| 18 | Not established | Porcelain | Orchid | Blue |
| 19 | Not established | Bronze | Chrysanthemum | Bronze |
| 20 | China | Platinum | Aster, day lily | Emerald green |
| 21 | Not established | Brass, nickel | Iris | Orange |
| 22 | Not established | Copper | Rose | Copper green |
| 23 | Not established | Silver plate | Rose | Imperial topaz |
| 24 | Not established | Musical instruments | Queen Anne’s lace | Lavender |
| 25 | Silver | Silver | Iris | Silver |
| 30 | Pearl | Diamond | Lily | Pearl white |
| 35 | Coral | Jade | Coral bells | Coral, jade |
| 40 | Ruby | Ruby | Gladiolus | Ruby red |
| 45 | Sapphire | Sapphire | Blue iris | Sapphire blue |
| 50 | Gold | Gold | Yellow rose, violet | Gold |
| 55 | Emerald | Emerald | Emerald-green orchid | Emerald green |
| 60 | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond-white orchid | Diamond white |

## Why the early years use humble materials

The early materials, paper, cotton, leather and wood, are the oldest part of the
tradition and the cheapest. The logic was that a marriage accumulates value, so
the gifts start plain and grow precious: tin at ten, silver at twenty-five, gold
at fifty, diamond at sixty.

Year one being paper is the reason so many first anniversary gifts are prints.
The paper gifts that stay on a wall tend to carry information (a map, a route, a
set of dates) rather than only a sentiment.

Related: https://paperanniversarygift.com/paper-anniversary/ and https://paperanniversarygift.com/custom-love-map/

---

Source: https://paperanniversarygift.com/anniversary-gifts-by-year/
Updated: 2026-09-08