The Golden Wedding: Meaning, Customs, and Options for Celebrating the Anniversary

Fifty years of marriage is that solemn and significant date, which, unfortunately, not all families manage to achieve. Therefore, if a married couple was able to live in love and harmony for five whole decades, it is imperative to celebrate such a significant event.

When a couple reaches 50 years of marriage, this anniversary is called a golden wedding. It is not for nothing that this anniversary got its name from the precious metal. Gold is prized not only for its attractive appearance, but also for its durability, which means that a marriage that has reached fifty years from the date of the wedding has stood the test of time and retained its beauty.

Such a marital union coped with everyday difficulties, and with the unique and sometimes difficult characters of the spouses, and with external obstacles. The ability to give in, "shape your metal" in many ways allows you to achieve such an important period. And, of course, a family that has celebrated a fifty-year union is only worthy of admiration.

Celebrating a golden wedding, as a rule, is accompanied by numerous traditions and rituals, in which both the spouses themselves and their guests take part. The ritual of sprinkling with symbolic gold is considered the most common: friends and relatives pour out gold coins, sweets in shiny wrappers, rice, rose petals and grain - that is, all those things that symbolize well-being, love and prosperity of the union.Often the children of a married couple embroider a golden scarf with gold thread as a gift. During the festive ceremony, they cover the mother's shoulders or head. Of course, it will not be shameful to buy a ready-made scarf in the store. An important and very touching moment of the celebration is the exchange of rings.

In general, for the first time, newlyweds put on each other's rings at a wedding, then twenty-five years later they will have to be replaced with silver jewelry. Finally, on the fiftieth anniversary of the union, gold returns again. Rings should be laconic and simple, but decent-looking, without unnecessary "curls". It will be nice if on the inside of the rings there is an engraving of important words or the date of the wedding - this is exactly what children can do as a gift. The exchange of rings can be carried out both in an intimate setting and in front of guests, telling a bit of your love story. The old jewelry, which was used at the first wedding, is recommended to be passed on to your children or grandchildren. It is believed that the rings, which were donated by close relatives who celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their life together, are highly energetically charged, which means that they will definitely bring good luck in love. The custom of passing on the wisdom of generations is very curious. As a rule, this happens at the end of the celebration - the guests gather in a more intimate atmosphere and the couple shares the secrets of a long, happy life together.

Usually the wife tells about this to the women present, and the husband to the men. Of course, it's not forbidden to combine stories and deliver a touching, funny or serious speech. We must not forget about lighting candles on this day. By themselves, these decor items are symbolized with the warmth and comfort of the home, so using them on the anniversary will allow you to “open the page” of the new fifty years of happiness. You will first need to prepare two gold candles decorated with bronze ribbons.

The celebration of the anniversary in many ways repeats the wedding itself, therefore, most often each toast is accompanied by shouts of "Bitter!" At the end of the holiday, the couple receives a traditional kalach, which they have to cut into two halves. It is considered a good omen when they use the help of their grandson or granddaughter for this. One half of the roll goes to the guests, and the other is eaten by the spouses themselves. Otherwise, you can let the “newlyweds” break off the pieces first, and then all the other guests. It is important that no crumbs remain from the symbolic baking - this way the couple will continue to live in prosperity and happiness.

Another "hello" from the wedding is the wedding dance. It will be very touching if the heroes of the day perform it to the same melody as fifty years ago. A golden wedding even implies the throwing of a bouquet by the "bride". Only in this case the husband presents flowers to his beloved, and both unmarried and married ladies are allowed to catch them. The latter, having caught a bouquet, can hope for a long and happy family life, which has certainly reached the fifty-year mark. The end of the holiday should remain only between the spouses, when they, having seen off the guests, pour each other a cup of tea, recalling the bright moments of their common history.

Of course, the celebration of a significant date primarily depends on the spouses themselves - what they love, what they are fond of, what they have achieved and what obstacles they have gone through. But there are some possible holiday elements that are sure to please any couple. The decor of the event must be accompanied by details of a golden hue, as well as red, beige and white.

For example, you can meet a married couple with the help of golden confetti and "rain". Of course, this color should also be present in the interior. On this day, you can choose a noble light dress reminiscent of a wedding dress for your wife, and an official black suit with gold cufflinks for your husband.Ladies' jewelry, by the way, should also be made of this metal.

Guests, if there is no desire to bother with the dress code, can simply be given a gold bow or ribbon to be attached to an elegant suit. Elegant candlesticks and light napkins with gilded patterns or gilding will be well placed on the table. A beautiful solution would be to complement the table decor with small vases with bouquets to match, the flowers of which are covered with golden pollen.

For example, it may contain questions: “Where did you go to travel for the first time? "," What was the most unusual gift? "," How did they confess their love to you? ". Of course, you can't do without a touching photo session. Professionals can easily write the plot of a beautiful love story and help bring it to life. The final chord of the holiday will be colorful fireworks.

It is not worth arranging a golden wedding in a noisy company, it is enough to gather a circle of close friends, children and grandchildren. If the “newlyweds” are couch potatoes, then, of course, it is better to celebrate the celebration at home, but it will be much more convenient to spend the holiday in a cafe, restaurant or even on the deck of a yacht or ship. Although you can always invite a professional leader, it would be more appropriate to offer this role to a close relative, a friend of a married couple, or someone who knows these people intimately and treats them with the warmest feelings. By the way, if a couple has not gone through a wedding ceremony before, then it is worth holding it on this festive date.

For a gold wedding, as a rule, they give either something associated with the symbol of the anniversary, or with a noble metal. Of course, gold jewelry, watches, rings or cufflinks will be a worthy gift. Of course, it will be a pleasure for those celebrating their birthday to receive something reminiscent of a family from children, for example, a collage of photographs in a golden frame or a portrait of the “young”. There are no strict requirements for choosing a gift, but it would be nice if it had some connection with the couple and their memorable date, as well as with gilding.

A cigarette case with gold ligature and an expensive writing instrument with a gilded cap will be good solutions. It is quite appropriate to give the hero of the day interior items, a set of dishes or bedding, for example, a reproduction of your favorite artist in a gilded frame.

Speaking about treats, it is worth noting that a significant part of the invited guests will most likely be aged, so it is better to give preference to light dietary meals. Also, the cake should be light and airy, and its decoration, as a rule, is done in golden shades, corresponding to the theme of the celebration. It should be refined, symbolic and must be served on a beautiful dish. Do not forget about the delicious filling. If the cake is multi-tiered, then each tier should be rewarded with a separate taste, beloved by the “newlyweds”. A great option would be multi-colored fruit fillings. Flowers, stucco elements, photographs of a couple, or some important items for them are usually chosen as decorations.

Gilding is usually formed with a light golden mastic. It is complemented by calm, not lurid colors. On the top, you can hoist figurines of the newlyweds, made of chocolate, marzipan, caramel or the same mastic. Outwardly, they must necessarily resemble the heroes of the day. If a white cake is chosen, then its decor is already made gold.Volumetric elements such as flowers, bows or ribbons will look attractive. By the way, cakes, whose tiers alternate golden and white, invariably attract attention.

Traditionally, the numbers "50" are set for dessert, but such a decision should be deliberate and trusted by professionals, since this decor often looks very cheap. Again, if the cake itself is colored gold, the numbers should be chosen in a different shade so that there is no redundancy.

For ideas on what to give for your wedding anniversary, see the video below.