Marriage has its ups and downs, but those that endure have one happy anniversary after another; each growing more meaningful as memories accumulate and love continues to grow. Anniversaries are a time to show your significant other how much you care. As a woman selecting a gift for your husband, you have an idea of his likes and dislikes, so a gift should convey a celebration of your love and an understanding of what will please your best friend.

Sticking with tradition, the first anniversary should be a gift of paper. A simple, yet practical gift for your man could be stationary with his initials engraved on the sheets of paper and envelopes. A more elaborate gift could be a personalized poem handwritten in calligraphy on parchment paper and framed in gold. A framed photograph of a special trip or moment would also be considered a gift of paper. Moving on to the second anniversary, cotton is universal and could be any number of handmade or commercially produced items. The third years warrant a gift of leather; the fourth fruits and flowers; the fifth is wood. The 10th anniversary is significant and should be tin, the 15th is crystal and the 20th is china. If your marriage endures through 25 years, silver is the gift of choice and the 50th is gold. To find what other traditional anniversary gifts are given throughout the years, go to the Internet where you will find hundreds of sites that list gifts year by year.

The journey from paper anniversary to diamond anniversary is a long road to travel, and every year deserves careful thought on your part to make sure the gift you are giving, whether it be paper or gold, is given with love.