Spending 50 years married to the same person shows real love, strength and commitment and at times undoubtedly tolerance and compromise.
So what is the 50th Wedding Anniversary?
- The answer is “Gold”.
- The 50th Wedding Anniversary is called the “Golden Wedding Anniversary”.
- Gold represents health and success. It is traditional for the couple to exchange gifts with a relation to gold but not necessarily gold itself. For the 50th Wedding Anniversary some countries offer a letter of congratulations from the Governing head (but not all).
- The flower which represents the 50th Wedding Anniversary is the Yellow Rose or Violet.
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Recommended anniversary gifts for couples
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Recommended anniversary gifts for her
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Why is the traditional symbol for the 50th anniversary gold?
The 50th Wedding Anniversary is so called because an ancient tradition called for a husband to give his beloved wife a golden necklace, garland or wreath on their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
The “gold” symbol represents the health and strength of the marriage.
Gold represents health and success. It is traditional for the couple to exchange gifts with a relation to gold but not necessarily gold itself. For the 50th Wedding Anniversary some countries offer a letter of congratulations from the Governing head (but not all).
Sadly most marriages don’t last fifty seconds anymore so to have a 50th Wedding Anniversary really is worth making a song and dance about; after all fifty years spent with the same person when you consider the amount of general life ups and downs all spent with that same special person, together as one and in love is something to be really proud of.
As well as having the benefit of being with the love of your life for 50 years there are also other benefits associated with celebrating your 50th Wedding Anniversary too such as being able to receive a letter of congratulations from the US President although a letter of congratulations is not offered by all country figureheads as explained below.
People often wonder about the origins and meaning behind the representation of gold. Here are the answers you looking for (see below).
What is the 50th wedding anniversary flower?
The traditional flower for the 50th wedding anniversary is yellow roses and violets.
The origin of the tradition of having a wedding anniversary represented by a precious gem and flower is Northern European, probably Germanic or Scandinavian, and dates back to the earliest written historical references available.
What is the 50th wedding anniversary gemstone?
The answer is gold.
Each year of marriage is seen to make the couple’s relationship stronger year on year and this is represented by a symbol or precious stone.
It begins in their first year of marriage with the “paper” celebration, by year five their marriage is now “wooden” and of course by the fiftieth year of marriage they are now celebrating their “golden” wedding anniversary which denotes fifty years of strength and health together as one.
What a golden anniversary represents
Gold represent health and success and the exchange of a gift related to gold, even if this means that something has the word gold in it, is considered acceptable.
Although material gifts are a tradition it is also accepted to perhaps offer a vacation gift to a place with the word gold in it e.g. the Gold Coast.
It is advisable when choosing a gift for the couple that you put a lot of thought into it as this is a big milestone in a married life and it is important that family and friends show their support and love for the couple.
How much money you spend on a gift is not too important, what is more important is that you choose carefully, a gift with a touch of something personal to it means much more than something chosen ad hoc. If you can present the gift in a way that enhances how special you feel then all the better.
A half century together is a long time, it’s a long time for a person on their own to be aged 50 but to have 50 years with another person shows real commitment and strength and so each progressive year is represented by a stronger symbol to show an increase in the strength of the relationship, paper representing the first year which progresses, the 50th anniversary is represented by gold which promotes good health and success.
Can I Receive a 50th Anniversary Letter of Congratulations From The Country Figurehead?
In the United States to honor the occasion and the couple themselves it is possible that you can request a personal greeting from US President who will send the happy couple a congratulatory card.
Members of the British Commonwealth cannot receive a letter of congratulations until their 60th Anniversary (and thereafter their 65th and 70th onward) with the exception of Canada and Australia who are able to apply to receive a message from the Governor General the Prime Minister, the federal Opposition leader, local members of parliament (both state and federal), and state Governors may also send salutations for the same anniversaries. Roman Catholics may apply for a Papal blessing through their local diocese for wedding anniversaries of a special nature (25th, 50th, 60th, etc).
What Should I Buy For A 50th Wedding Anniversary Gift?
Tradition dictates that the gift exchanged between the couple or gifted to the couple should have some relation to the precious stone or metal with which the anniversary is associated.
So in the case of the 50th Wedding Anniversary it can be recommended perhaps to exchange jewelry, cufflinks, a gold box or photo frame, a ring, or even something gold-themed like a vacation to a place with “Gold” in its name.
It should be remembered that after 50 years of marriage most people will be elderly and traveling may be a little more difficult for some people at this point in their lives, so if you were considering this as a gift for your parent or grandparents you should first consider the feasibility of the trip.
What Should I Say For A 50th Wedding Anniversary?
What you should say to the couple depends upon how you intend to convey that message.
- Regardless of the medium of your message you should be delivering a message that reflects the love, strength and commitment that the two people have had between themselves for all of those years.
- People are different and when two people are together they act a particular way and have certain things which are acceptable. With this in mind sometimes it makes sense to congratulate the couple in a humorous way, in a heartfelt way, in a religious way.
- There are plenty of examples of things you can say that you can find on the internet but really you shouldn’t be too stuck if you speak or write from the heart. You can be prompted by what others have written but only you know the celebrating couple in the way that you do. So think of all of those precious moments you have shared together and start from there.
Here are some tips for deciding what to say or write to the lucky 50th Wedding Anniversary couple:
- When choosing the card or gift take your time and make it personal. The 50th Wedding Anniversary is a really big one and deserves a lot of respect. Your card and gift should reflect your relationship to the couple and it should be something that you reflects how well you know them.
- When writing your message in a card put yourself in their shoes. What would you like to read? What could you say that warms their heart or brings a tear of joy to their eye? This is an opportunity to show them that you care and they are thought of.
- Relate your message to your gift if possible. You can create a joke about this if you think the couple will enjoy it. Popular messages relate to the amount of time spent together and how the gift affects this, for example if you bought them a couple of golden bracelets you could joke about the resemblance to handcuffs and how from now on whenever they get arrested they can be handcuffed in style!
- Be respectful – be careful not to offend. If you are not 100% sure how your message will be received then don’t say it. Just err on the side of caution so as not to upset the happy occasion.
Also see what is the 40th wedding anniversary and what is the 60th wedding anniversary gift (not yet written)
