Celebrating Anniversaries with Kids: Our Family-Centered Approach

Six years and counting...

The Large Blue Horses by Franz Marc, 1911, via the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Why are anniversaries important milestones in a relationship? Or, how do you celebrate an anniversary when you are parenting children? While an intimate, romantic, and sexy date sounds attractive, we have come to terms with celebrating with our toddler and 4-month baby early in the day. Our anniversary weekend consisted of pizza at our favorite spot at 11 am on a Friday to finish right on time before nap time, pancake breakfast at home on Saturday, an hour of cartoons in the late afternoon with pizza leftovers, and a visit to the park from 9 am to 12:30 pm on Sunday. 

While, in theory, it’s healthy that couples carve out time alone for dates, we have been unable to in 3 years. In actuality, we have moved as a unit, three now four, rather than as a couple, to make it work.

In the end, I think the most important thing is to spend time together as a family and to make the day special and meaningful in our own way. We got our daughter involved in the planning. She is almost 3 years old now and it's a way to create memories.

Wedding anniversaries are important milestones in a couple's life. They remind us of the day we committed to spending our lives together, and they provide an opportunity for reflection, gratitude, and celebration that can be easily taken for granted in the midst of the busyness of life.

The tradition of celebrating wedding anniversaries has been around for centuries. In ancient Rome, for example, husbands would give their wives a silver wreath on their 25th wedding anniversary and a gold wreath on their 50th. In medieval Germany, couples would celebrate their 25th anniversary by presenting each other with a silver garland.

In modern times, the tradition has become even more widespread, with many couples marking each year with a special gift or activity. For example, the traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary is paper, while the 10th anniversary is marked with tin or aluminum. 

My wife and I are celebrating six years in 2023 and the traditional gift for the sixth wedding anniversary is candy or iron. Candy represents the sweetness of the marriage and the happiness that the couple shares, while iron symbolizes the strength and durability of the relationship.

It's my longest relationship to date and a testament to the strength and commitment of our love. It is not easy and requires supernatural effort at times, but it’s rewarding when you zoom out and see what you are creating—along with your loving partner. 

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