The traditional anniversary gift list has evolved over time. The list was first published in 1922 by Emily Post when she included only 8 milestone anniversary years in her etiquette book, but some of the traditions date back to medieval times.
The earliest recorded instances of wedding anniversary gift-giving were in Central Europe. The 25th and 50th anniversaries were first celebrated with silver and gold respectively in medieval Germany, where the wife received silver garlands or wreaths after 25 years and gold after 50.
It is thought that the 5th year started being associated with wood around 1875 but
there's been a custom of giving wooden love spoons for all anniversaries in Wales from the end of the 17th century.
The "anniversary clock" has a history that dates back to 1901, when the term was copyrighted by the Bowler & Burdock Co. of Cleveland, Ohio. They called their clock this because it ran for 400 days without needing to be wound. It became popular as a wedding anniversary gift because it could be wound once a year, on the couple's anniversary.
The traditional anniversary list, as we know it today, was published in 1937 by the American National Retail Jeweler Association.
The 75th year was customarily considered the "diamond anniversary" until Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 60th anniversary of accession to the throne in 1897 with diamonds. Since the, the tradition of celebrating the 60th, as well as the 75th, wedding anniversary with diamonds has been adopted.
The modern version of the wedding anniversary gift list offers alternative gift materials and fills in the years from the 16th to the 49th anniversary, which had formerly been left blank. There is no single originator of this modern list as several lists seem to have converged to create what we now call the modern wedding anniversary gift list.
Today, there is also a separate list from the jewelry industry and another list of flowers for each year. We've even seen a list of designated travel destinations for each year of marriage.
According to the 1965 "Etiquette for Moderns" by Elinor Ames:
"Although the first anniversary is considered the paper or plastic one, the second, cotton and so on, it is not mandatory that the gift be of the "appropriate" material or composition for the specific year. The exception is in the case of the tenth (tin or aluminum) and twenty-fifth, which is known as the "silver anniversary." In these cases, the gift usually "goes" with the anniversary. For other years it is equally correct, and often more interesting, to buy what seems appropriate for the particular couple and carry out the theme in the wrapping or decorating of the package. Thus a gift for the seventh anniversary could be wrapped in copper-colored paper, a lace handkerchief might decorate the package for the thirteenth, and so on."
