Traditional anniversary gifts start with paper for the first year and grow more precious – silver for 25, gold for 50 and diamond for 60 years. Lists differ between the UK and US and between traditional and modern versions; the most common traditional gifts are shown.
How to use the Anniversary Calculator
- Wedding or start date
- Date
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Enter the wedding (or relationship) date and the date to compare with – today by default.
Traditional anniversary gifts
| Year | Gift | Year | Gift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper | 11 | Steel |
| 2 | Cotton | 12 | Silk or linen |
| 3 | Leather | 13 | Lace |
| 4 | Fruit and flowers (linen) | 14 | Ivory (gold jewellery) |
| 5 | Wood | 15 | Crystal |
| 6 | Iron (sugar) | 16 | Silver hollowware |
| 7 | Wool or copper | 17 | Furniture |
| 8 | Bronze | 18 | Porcelain |
| 9 | Pottery (willow) | 19 | Bronze |
| 10 | Tin or aluminium | 20 | China (platinum) |
| 25 | Silver | 40 | Ruby |
| 30 | Pearl | 50 | Gold |
| 35 | Coral | 60 | Diamond |
Tips
- Check whether the end date should be included – event durations usually include it, elapsed time does not.
- Months have 28–31 days, so “one month” is counted by calendar date, not as 30 days.
- Use 24-hour time or set AM/PM carefully when entering clock times.
- Time zones and daylight-saving changes are not applied unless the calculator says so.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Counting a 30-day month when a calendar month is meant (or the reverse).
- Forgetting leap years when counting days across February.
- Mixing decimal hours (7.5 h) with clock time (7:30).
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Wedding or start date | A date |
| Date | A date |
What each result means
- Years together = floor([Months]÷12)
- and months = [Months] – 12×floor([Months]÷12)
- and days = [Date] – addmonths([Wedding or start date], [Months])
- Days together = [Date] – [Wedding or start date]
- Next anniversary (number) = [Years together] + 1
- Next anniversary date = addmonths([Wedding or start date], ([Years together] + 1)×12)
- Days until the next anniversary = [Next anniversary date] – [Date]
- Traditional gift for the next anniversary = [Next anniversary (number)]
Formula
Time together = date − wedding date (years, months, days)Next anniversary = wedding date + (completed years + 1) yearsWorked example
Inputs — Wedding or start date: 2015-06-20; Date: 2026-10-25.
Results — Years together = 11 years; and months = 4; and days = 5; Days together = 4,145; Next anniversary (number) = 12; Next anniversary date = Sun, June 20, 2027; Days until the next anniversary = 238; Traditional gift for the next anniversary = Silk or linen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gift for a 10th anniversary?
Tin or aluminium (traditional); diamond jewellery is a modern alternative.
What anniversary is silver?
The 25th; gold is the 50th, diamond the 60th.
How many days have we been married?
See "Days together" – counted from the wedding date to today.
What formula does the Anniversary Calculator use?
Time together = date − wedding date (years, months, days).