26th wedding anniversary: celebration and tradition
Here is the death of the silver wedding, the 25th anniversary of their life together. The next anniversary is just around the corner, and its celebration involves other customs and rituals. Let's talk about the twenty-sixth anniversary of marriage, find out what it is called, how to celebrate it correctly, and what to present to spouses. This "pinnacle" of family life is no less interesting than the silver wedding, although not so widely known.
What is the name of the anniversary?
The 26th anniversary of the wedding is called the jade wedding. The spouses have overcome the 25-year mark and are ready to take new heights. They are no longer newcomers to family life, they are people living side by side for their third decade. They know each other very well, most of them have already raised one or more children. The couple has entered the age of maturity, youth is behind, but the time of withering will not come soon.
Jade products are very durable - almost impossible to break or split. This is also typical of spouses who have crossed the 26-year line of marriage. It is impossible to split this union, it has acquired the features of a monolith, husband and wife are a single whole. In addition, over the years of "faceting", marriage from a simple ornamental material has become a real precious treasure for the spouses, which they protect from any external encroachments.
People who have walked such a long distance next to them have a fair amount of experience and can teach young people a lot, because they already know so much about the intricacies of married life. Passion and ardor faded into the background, but did not go out, and the priorities were mutual respect and acceptance of the partner as he is, without embellishment.
Most often, the children of such couples are already adults, many live separately. Now the husband and wife have the opportunity to re-devote time only to each other - more often to get out somewhere together, walk around their favorite places in the city, go to museums and theaters, go out into nature together, visit cafes and restaurants, trying new dishes for themselves. This is a new round of life, which the family enters with a solid baggage of experience. They have already learned well each other's habits and tastes, but at the same time they are not bored together.
Both husband and wife are well aware of how meaningless empty swearing or hurtful words are if the partner did something wrong. In such a family, you will not hear high-pitched conversations without urgent need, you will not face abuse or cold silence. Perfectly knowing each other's characters, the spouses have already learned to find compromises in any area of life.
Symbolism
Jade is both white and black, but more often this beautiful stone is still found in green tones. This is why the color of a jade wedding is green.
It is believed that this stone has a number of magical properties: it endows its owner with longevity and good health, and also protects his family hearth. Unlike the previous anniversary silver wedding, the jade anniversary is shrouded in a mystical and mysterious veil. It is not public, it is better to celebrate it with your family or among your closest friends (there should not be many guests).
It should be remembered that it is not worth celebrating this date together.
Folk traditions
In accordance with custom, it is on the 26th wedding anniversary that the spouses remember the words that they said to each other when they get married, and repeat them again. This is a very beautiful tradition, in America it is called "renewing vows." Since the spouses are no longer new to living together, they do not pronounce their vows thoughtlessly, but emotionally, because they already know well what it means to be with a person and when he is sick, and when he is healthy, when he needs support, and when you need help.
For 26 years, a lot has happened to her husband and wife, there were moments of happiness and streaks of failure, and they overcame all this together. That is why the words of love and fidelity will be more appropriate than ever, being spoken again on this day. Also, both spouses should present each other with one flower rich in foliage. This is a tradition that must not be violated.
Present
The Jade Anniversary involves gifts in pairs, single gifts are not allowed. It is better if they are made of the stone that gave the name to the holiday. Jade jewelry and accessories bring harmony and harmony to a couple, protect from the evil eye, help to achieve enlightenment.
A photo frame with a photo of the heroes of the occasion will be a good gift. The husband can present his wife with earrings or a bracelet. An original gift will be a transforming piece of jewelry, from which you can make two jewelry (for example, a ring that divides into two other rings, or beads, from which two bracelets are made).
A wife can present her husband with beautiful jade cufflinks, a rosary or an inlaid watch. For each partner, a favorite perfume in a green glass bottle will be a good gift.
Flowers that are presented to a couple or spouse on this day should have lush greenery. You can give flowers in pots, it is better if they are evergreen. The more bright and juicy leaves in a bouquet, the more, according to popular belief, this will bring prosperity to the family in the future.
The type of flower is not so important, its freshness and abundant foliage are important. You can present both chrysanthemums and roses, depending on the season of the year.
Exotic indoor plants will bring great pleasure to the hostess who is keen on home economics. A bouquet of rare green roses presented by her husband will surprise any woman, making the holiday unforgettable.
Spouses can be given tea pairs, sets of two glasses, all kinds of talismans and amulets, however, in the latter case, you should still make sure that this will be appropriate.For example, in a family of religious traditions, such a gift may be perceived with bewilderment. You can give green tea as a set for tea pairs or a set. A bottle of expensive champagne will also be appropriate (only of the appropriate shade).
Home textiles in green tones will be a good gift from children or close friends. This can be two bath towels, a pair of robes for him and her, a soft fluffy blanket, etc.
Children (if they are adults and provide for themselves) can give their parents a trip to China or Japan, or a couples ticket to the oriental spa program. Homemade waterfalls, aquariums, or paintings in green tones, possibly inlaid with jade, are also fine.
How is it celebrated?
The first association that people have when they hear the word "jade" is China. It is because of the connection of jade with this country that the 26th wedding anniversary has a certain magical "flavor". Therefore, it would be right to celebrate it with Chinese dishes. Shrimp, Chinese cabbage, rice (brown, black, white), chicken or pork in sweet and sour sauce - all this will be appropriate. Unleash your imagination when approving the menu.
Fortune cookies can be a pleasant surprise for guests, you just need to make sure that all forecasts are extremely favorable. Dessert can be traditional cake or original Chinese rice cakes. It can also be caramelized apples or thousand-layered apples.
It is better to choose for celebration a summer terrace of a cafe, entwined with greenery, a restaurant outside the city or any other place where there are many plants and trees. An ideal choice would be an institution on the shore of a reservoir.
If, due to weather conditions, this is not possible, you should take care of the presence of greenery indoors. This applies to both living plants and the shade of table decoration (tablecloths, napkins, dishes).
The wife can choose a dress in green tones for the celebration. The husband can support his spouse with a light green shirt and tie to match. Then harmony in family life will be emphasized by harmony in clothes.
As already mentioned, in accordance with the eastern tradition, noisy festivities are unacceptable. On this day, next to the spouses are their closest and beloved people. A quiet feast is conducive to pleasant conversations, memories from the past, as well as planning for the future. Husband and wife refresh their memory of funny and interesting moments of married life, perhaps a little ironic over themselves in their youth. Children talk about what they have learned from their parents. Friends can remember how a family was created before their eyes, rejoice at how strong it has become over the years.
It is appropriate to revise the photographs that capture the history of the family from its creation to the present. Perhaps the spouses have compiled an album in which there is even a photo from the moment they met.
It is important to remember that after the 26th anniversary, life does not stop, there is another “peak” ahead - the wedding of the Mahogany, which will come literally in a year.
For gift ideas for your spouse, see below.