What's the 40th wedding anniversary called? All the names here

When a date with a round or half number is approaching, it's only natural to wonder what that particular wedding anniversary is actually called, and what people usually give as a gift for the occasion. The names stem from a long tradition where each year is linked to a material or a flower, and the longer the marriage lasts, the more valuable the material becomes, from paper and cotton in the early years to silver, ruby and gold later in life.

In this guide, you'll find the whole list gathered in two tables, a short history of where the names come from, and concrete suggestions for how to approach the gift for the most marked milestones.

What's the 40th wedding anniversary called, and what about the others?

The 40th wedding anniversary is called the ruby anniversary. It's one of the milestones that's often celebrated a little extra, along with the tin anniversary after 10 years, the china anniversary after 20 years, the silver anniversary after 25 years, and the golden anniversary after 50 years. But actually, every single year has its own name, right from the wedding day itself to the rare round milestones far into the future. If you want to see the whole line from start to finish, it's gathered in the tables below.

Wedding anniversaries from 0 to 25 years

Here are the names for the first 25 years of marriage. Some years have more than one name in use.

Wedding anniversaries from 30 to 90 years

After 25 years, tradition typically jumps to every five years. Here are the names from 30 to 90 years.

Where do the names come from?

The tradition isn't new. The celebration of golden weddings can be traced back to the 1500s in Germany, where it marked that a marriage had lasted an unusually long time. In Denmark, the celebration of golden and silver weddings has been known since the early 1800s, long before most of the other names came into use.

The long list, which covers every single year up to 25 and then every fifth year after that, originates from 1937, when the American jewellers' association The American National Retail Jeweler Association published an expanded overview. It has since become part of the Danish tradition, as described on Danish Wikipedia under Bryllupsdag.

How the big wedding anniversaries are celebrated in Denmark

In Denmark, some of these anniversaries have their own unique customs. At copper, silver and golden weddings, it's common for family or friends to put up an honorary arch over the front door and sing a morning song for the couple, often early on the day itself.

The very longest marriages are marked in a different way. At diamond, crown diamond and iron weddings, the couple in Denmark can receive a greeting from the monarch, as an official recognition of their many years together.

Gift ideas by year and theme

The name of the wedding anniversary can be used as a starting point for the gift, without it needing to be a strict rule. Thinking in themes makes it easier to choose something fitting for the occasion:

• For a porcelain wedding after 20 years, ceramics can be an obvious choice, for example Citron stoneware plates from &Klevering.
• For a silver wedding after 25 years, many go for a piece of jewellery, such as the Freja necklace or the Aventurosa necklace from Goio Galore.
• For a ruby wedding after 40 years, you could draw inspiration from the colour red, whether in textiles, flowers or details around the home.
• For a golden wedding after 50 years, something in gold tones is often a safe choice.

See more ideas in the shop's collection of Wedding anniversary gifts or browse the broader Gift ideas.

Tip: choose according to the couple's taste

The theme is a good guide, but the couple's own taste should always weigh heaviest. Some appreciate a beautiful piece of stoneware for everyday use, others prefer a piece of jewellery they can pass on.

If you're in doubt, the shop has gifts in several price ranges, from 1 to 200 DKK and up to 1000-1500 DKK, so there's room for both the small gesture and the grand one. A gift card is also an option, available in amounts of 100 DKK, 175 DKK, 250 DKK, 400 DKK, 500 DKK, 600 DKK, 1000 DKK and 1200 DKK, so the recipient can choose for themselves.

Summary

Every wedding anniversary has its own name, from the paper anniversary after the first year to the granite anniversary after ninety. The 40th wedding anniversary is called the ruby anniversary, while tin, china, silver and gold mark 10, 20, 25 and 50 years. The names stem from a long tradition dating back to the 1500s in Germany and expanded in 1937, and in Denmark, several of the big days are still followed by a ceremonial arch, morning song or a greeting from the monarch. Feel free to use the theme as inspiration for the gift, but always let the couple's own taste decide the choice.

Read also

• Wedding gifts: Unique wedding presents they'll remember
• Jewellery as a gift: The foolproof guide
• How much should you spend on a gift? Rules and advice
• Gift wrap and packaging: Complete the present