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What The Anniversary Calculator Works Out
- Years married: whole years completed since the wedding date, with the traditional UK material for that year. The list grows in durability and value as the marriage does: paper for year one, cotton for two, wood at five, tin at ten and crystal at fifteen, through to silver (25), ruby (40), gold (50) and diamond (60).
- Next anniversary: the full date and day of the week of the next one, with its traditional material. The idea is that gifts are made from, or themed around, the year's material, which is why first anniversaries produce so many prints, books and tickets.
- Next big milestone: the next of the party anniversaries (25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70) and how many years away it is. Silver and golden weddings are the classic family celebration anniversaries.
- Work it out as of (advanced): run the sums for any date rather than today, for example to check what anniversary a party date falls on or how long a couple had been married on a particular day.
- Days married (advanced): the exact number of days, with weeks and approximate months. A 10,000th day of marriage lands a little after the 27th anniversary and makes a fine excuse for a dinner.
- Modern gift this year (advanced): the modern (US-origin) list that runs alongside the traditional one: clocks for year one, china for two, crystal for three, and so on. The two lists diverge for most years, so gift-buyers can pick whichever inspires.
- Card from the King (advanced): couples in the UK celebrating a 60th, 65th or 70th anniversary, and every year from the 70th onwards, can apply through the gov.uk anniversaries service to receive a congratulatory card from the King, a tradition dating back to Queen Victoria. Apply at least three weeks ahead.
- Day of the week you married (advanced): the weekday of the wedding and of the next anniversary. Saturday remains the most popular UK wedding day, but anniversaries drift forward one weekday a year (two after a leap day), so a Saturday wedding gives a Saturday anniversary only every five, six or eleven years.
- Future anniversaries table (advanced): the next 10 (or as many as 75) anniversaries with their dates, weekdays and traditional and modern gifts, so you can plan the big ones years ahead.