Traditions for celebrating the 42nd wedding anniversary
A mother-of-pearl wedding is an anniversary that has its own preserved traditions. According to one tradition, the event should be attended by guests or some of them who were witnesses at the wedding 42 years ago. The couple exchange gifts in the morning - symbols of the wedding. It can be anything: buttons, jewelry or a solid piece of furniture.
Another interesting tradition requires swimming in a natural pond before sunrise. A married couple should swim together. The Rising Sun, in this tradition, represents a new beginning. And water heals and washes away all illnesses, both physical and mental. Modern options involve taking a shower together in the early morning. The tradition can also be modified for those couples who got married in the winter season or for those who do not have natural bodies of water nearby. By the way, another restriction on the observance of this ritual may be the testimony of doctors. The water is colder in the morning, so the presence of certain diseases can become a serious obstacle to swimming in this format, even in order to comply with traditions.
Traditions of mother-of-pearl wedding
Our ancestors endowed mother of pearl with magical properties. It was believed that it gives health, cures many diseases, and helps to stay young for a long time. Mother of pearl dust was an essential component of many ancient medicines that alchemists worked on.
In addition, it protects travelers on the road and protects them from various dangers. That is why they advised wearing mother-of-pearl products in order not to grow old for a long time and to travel safely.
On this date, spouses must purchase talismans made from this stone for each other and exchange them. It is believed that this will allow them to live a long life without illness or difficulty.
Our ancestors used mother-of-pearl pearls to charge water. It was believed that if pearls were kept in water for some time, they would have healing qualities. The couple, on the eve of their 43rd wedding anniversary, needed to prepare such healing water. In the evening, several pearls had to be placed in a jug of water, and in the morning the husband and wife had to wash themselves with this water.
Swimming at dawn is also a long-standing tradition. On this date, it was necessary to swim in the reservoir as soon as the sun rises in order to gain eternal youth and good health. Whether or not to believe in these traditions is up to everyone to decide for themselves.
Scenario for celebrating the 42nd wedding anniversary
It’s worth saying right away that not all modern couples pay enough attention to the intermediate dates between anniversaries. Despite the fact that the 42nd wedding anniversary is not a big date, it is still worth celebrating, even if not so magnificently. It is advisable to invite to the celebration those relatives and friends who were at the wedding on an important day 42 years ago. Such a reunion often helps the couple renew their vows and feelings, as well as become an inspiring example for the younger generation.
Even though mother of pearl is less valued than pearls, many people love the stone for its beauty and durability. Likewise, a couple who has passed such a big milestone in their relationship can celebrate a personal unofficial anniversary in the family circle.
Toys and other decor in pastel colors are welcome in the interior design. To maintain the theme of the holiday, it is recommended to keep part of the room in a restrained color with a mother-of-pearl tint. An ideal addition would be iridescent dishes, napkins or balls decorated with pearls, which shimmer in the sun and may seem like a big mother-of-pearl. Pastel shades are the most preferred; there are no general recommendations for choosing wedding colors.
The organizational part of the event is usually the children. The only condition is the need to discuss the list of invitees. Because the event should be fun, and the relationships with some of the people on the list may be different for those responsible for the event than they were 42 years ago.
Congratulations on a mother-of-pearl wedding
Every person who knows a married couple prepares congratulatory words for them. You can come up with an original text yourself, but not everyone has the inclination for this. Congratulations from the Internet are also suitable if they are remade for this event.
If congratulations are sent by telephone, then it is enough to say a few words, and if you receive an invitation to visit, then you need to prepare a congratulatory speech. It must contain the words mother-of-pearl wedding and 42nd anniversary.
The forty-second anniversary is an important date, so you shouldn’t miss it. Some people don’t pay attention to it, believing that they only need to celebrate an anniversary once every five years. But in reality, every year brings more love into a relationship, isn't that something worth celebrating?
What can you give your spouse?
An ancient tradition recommends that the wife sew her own shirt for her husband, sewing on mother-of-pearl buttons. Later it served as a powerful personal amulet for a man. In a modern version, you can buy a shirt in a store and sew on mother-of-pearl buttons. When choosing a gift, it is important to focus not only on symbolism, but also on the couple’s feelings for each other. You can choose one of the following gift options for your spouse:
- a business spouse will love an exclusive pen designed in mother-of-pearl style. You can even give a personalized copy;
- A watch with mother-of-pearl trim will also fit perfectly into the image of a business man;
- A universal and symbolic gift will be mother-of-pearl cufflinks, which will originally complement the gray hair of an already respectable gentleman. Men who prefer a business image, as a rule, have subtle taste and an exquisite sense of beauty.
After so many years of living together, the wife has probably already studied the tastes and interests of her husband. Therefore, choosing a worthy gift for her will not be difficult. In addition to purchased options, a handmade gift can be symbolic and heartwarming. For example, the ideal option would be to design your own gift wrapping.
DIY gifts
Recently, the concept of hand-made has come into fashion. This term refers to all the things that a person does with his own hands. An example of a gift for the 42nd wedding date could be:
- box made of natural wood;
- mother-of-pearl business card holder;
- family tree decorated in mother-of-pearl style.
You can also give a family collage consisting of bright and memorable moments. The frame can be inlaid with mother of pearl. This option will be a reason to dive into the past and remember all the significant moments of the relationship.
How to mark - script
In order not to burden the married couple with the hassle associated with preparing for the holiday, children can take on all the responsibilities. To create a truly festive atmosphere, you should invite your closest friends and relatives to your wedding anniversary.
If the number of guests allows you to celebrate the event at home, then so be it. And if the square meters do not allow you to accommodate everyone or you simply don’t want to celebrate the date at home, then you can go to a cafe or restaurant.
Try to make the environment thematic - this way you can fill the holiday with the right mood and convey it to everyone present. The table can be covered with a tablecloth with a mother-of-pearl shade and placed vases of flowers on it. Napkins can also be selected with mother of pearl. If possible, fill the room with mother-of-pearl shine - this will allow you to feel the essence of the holiday.
Alternatively, you can decorate the hall with balloons of the appropriate shade. It is better to choose a lot of snacks and salads as treats.
Meat and fish are also a must on the holiday menu. You can’t do without a beautiful cake, which will make the special day truly bright and spectacular.
You can order a themed confectionery product, for example, decorate the top of the cake with a sea shell with a pearl inside. To make the important day meaningful for the spouses, you can hang photographs around the room from the wedding day, the birth of children and other significant moments for the family.
So that no one has to get bored on this day, it is worth thinking through the holiday scenario in advance. You definitely need to decide who will act as the presenter. As expected, the holiday begins with guests being invited to the table. The host says a few phrases about the correct name for the wedding that everyone has gathered to celebrate, and explains the symbolic meaning of the important date.
This is followed by the first toast to the “young ones” and glasses are raised. It would be appropriate if the guests, together with the host, start shouting: “Bitter”!
There is a belief that if you put a pearl in a glass of champagne for each spouse, it will bring them family happiness. In this case, the husband and wife must drink champagne as if they were going to broodershaft, and take out the remaining pearls at the bottom and exchange them.
This action is followed by a kiss to loud applause from the guests. During breaks between the feast, guests can present gifts and say kind words to the couple. Be sure to include dancing and competitions in the holiday program. Alternatively, you can invite the husband and wife to play a game called “42 years later.”
The idea is that the couple is given one by one dates (children and grandchildren prepare them in advance). For example, the husband gets the date of birth of his father-in-law or mother-in-law, and the wife gets the date of the first day they met, etc. The spouses’ task is to tell what date it is. Another funny and very funny competition is “Pass a Kiss.” The wife must convey a kiss to her husband through the guests.
She does it this way: you need to kiss the guest sitting next to him on the cheek, he, in turn, kisses the next guest sitting next to him. In this way, the kiss is passed along the chain until it reaches the spouse.
Where to celebrate the holiday
How and where to celebrate the anniversary? It is not customary to celebrate this wedding on a grand scale, although it is not prohibited. The celebration can be held in a close family circle, or you can order a restaurant banquet hall or rent a small cafe. It would be appropriate to go to a country house, if you have one: a holiday in nature is very different from one at home. If the weather permits, you can all go fishing or for a walk in the forest together.
Children are responsible for organizing the holiday: this will allow elderly parents to feel their care and attention once again. It is not necessary to put several different dishes on the table: the main thing is to serve it beautifully. You can cover it with a tablecloth in the color of mother-of-pearl (or pastel colors), trimming it with braid made of artificial pearls. White balloons, which will symbolize pearls, will help complete the mother-of-pearl decoration.
If a married couple wants to be alone on this significant day, they can afford this luxury. Then you need to think about how best to spend this day. You can walk along the streets you wandered through in your youth. You can go to the theater and sit in the cafe of your youth. You should definitely look at the wedding photo album: a photo session at the registry office and photo sessions for wedding anniversaries. Shared memories can be cemented in the marriage bed.
32 years of marriage - what kind of wedding, traditions and what to give
Decor
Since mother of pearl has long been considered a symbol of the family hearth and home comfort, it is better to celebrate the 42nd wedding anniversary at home.
But at the same time you need to make sure that everything is very beautifully decorated. You need to place a large number of fresh flowers throughout the house. The backs of chairs and walls can be decorated with small flower arrangements, and the table can be strewn with rose petals, under which there should be a mother-of-pearl tablecloth. You can make figures from napkins, add pearls to them, and then decorate the table with them. The ideal option for this celebration would be a wine whose aging coincides with the number of years the spouses have lived together.
You can also decorate the walls of the room where this joyful event will be celebrated by hanging huge pearl-colored balloons. Everyone will also be delighted by collages and wall newspapers, in which the main role is given to the heroes of the occasion. And they themselves will be pleasantly surprised to see the happiest moments from their married life.
But mother-of-pearl should be present not only in the decoration of the room, but also in the clothes of the spouses. These could be mother-of-pearl cufflinks, buttons, a tie clip, or pearl jewelry.
Celebration
As previously mentioned, it is best to celebrate a mother-of-pearl wedding at home, because it is warm and cozy there. And elderly spouses will feel calm and at ease at home. There is no need to invite many guests. Only the closest and dearest people should be present at this holiday. And it will be enough if only the children and grandchildren of the “pearl” newlyweds come.
As for dishes, you shouldn’t cook too many of them either. A few of the parents' favorite snacks and a bottle of aged wine will be enough to sit back and celebrate this joyful day.
After the feast, you can set up a home theater and watch the films that your parents watched in their youth. Or you can arrange dances, where they will play compositions that the spouses had fun with in their youth.
Grandchildren can please their grandparents with various exciting competitions and fun games with symbolic prizes.
On the day of celebrating the 42nd wedding anniversary, you can offer guests a book of wishes, in which each of those who come to this house should leave their wishes to the married couple.
According to established tradition, the spouses are awarded the medal “For Fortitude” and certificates for having lived all these 42 years in peace and harmony.
On this holiday, spouses must show how strong their feelings are. And proof of this will be songs dedicated to each other, and love confessions that should sound throughout this gala evening.
Rituals
On the day of celebrating the “pearl” anniversary, several rituals take place. Completing at least one of them will give the spouses health and well-being.
- Early in the morning, before the sun has yet risen, the husband and wife should go to the spring and bring water. The brought water must be poured into a wooden container, after placing mother-of-pearl pearls on the bottom. As soon as the first rays of the sun appear, the spouses should wash themselves with this water. The husband washes first, and then the wife. This ritual will give them health for the whole year.
- The bathing ceremony takes place at sunrise. A husband and wife go to the river and swim in it. This tradition gives spouses happiness and health.
- On the day of the mother-of-pearl wedding, husband and wife give each other small amulets made of mother-of-pearl, which on this day are endowed with magical powers. Such an amulet gives protection to its owner who decides to go on a long journey. The talisman helps him return home safe and sound.
Gifts for wife
In ancient times, there was a very interesting custom in Rus'. The husband had to present his wife with a necklace early in the morning, which consisted of 42 mother-of-pearl beads. It is interesting that the husband prepared the gift in advance, every year on a memorable day, secretly from his wife, putting mother-of-pearl on a thread. In the modern world, it is possible to purchase custom-made symbolic jewelry, since due to the pace of life, not every man is ready to follow tradition to the smallest detail. The main nuance lies in the atmosphere of care and sincere feelings that will reign in the couple at the moment of handing over the gift to its owner.
An appropriate and romantic addition would be a bouquet of flowers in a delicate shade, best suited to the main gift.
Women usually like to think outside the box. Therefore, you can break away from tradition and prepare an original gift for your wife. For example, a box may well become part of the bedroom interior and a practical gift.
An original and symbolic option would be a paired set for tea drinking. It is advisable to choose a set that is inlaid with real mother of pearl. It will be useful in everyday life and will help create an unforgettable atmosphere for family tea in the evenings.
Ideal as a non-standard gift are figurines to suit the spouse’s hobby, made like mother-of-pearl or visually reminiscent of the symbol of the 42nd summer wedding.
Holiday decoration
Usually children or other younger family members are involved in organizing the celebration. In order not to rack your brains, take on board a few ready-made ideas.
Since the husband and wife are no longer young, they may not like a magnificent celebration with noisy music. It is better to approach the organization creatively, based on the theme of the wedding. For example:
- Buy 42-year-old wine.
- Place a few simple snacks in plates with mother-of-pearl edging.
- Arrange a viewing of films that the spouses loved in their youth.
- If finances allow, send the spouses on a tour to places where mother-of-pearl is mined. This way you will move away from hackneyed scenarios and give long-lasting impressions.
- You can order helium pearl balloons. It will be fun and on topic.
- Arrange a “Guess the Tune” game with music that the spouses like, and at the end, present them with comic certificates.
The house needs to be decorated with fresh flowers, as well as accessories with a hint of mother-of-pearl. The woman is presented with white or cream roses.
Gifts from guests for wedding anniversary
The choice of gifts from guests is unlimited. These can be both memorable symbolic gifts and those that are useful in everyday life. If guests are in doubt about the choice or someone has no imagination, you can choose one of the following options:
- candlesticks or glasses decorated with real mother of pearl;
- flowerpot or vase for gardeners;
- A mother-of-pearl sink will become the highlight of the bathroom. Such a gift should be previously agreed upon with the heroes of the holiday;
- various household appliances. It is also best to discuss such a gift with partners in advance to avoid awkward moments;
- iridescent bed linen;
- photo album with memorable photos and blank sheets for new moments. It is desirable that the gift cover be either inlaid with mother-of-pearl or shimmer in the light.
A gift from children and grandchildren will be special for the heroes of the holiday. A memorable gift will be a video or photo presentation of important family moments. A full-length portrait of a couple, made in oil painting or in an unusual technique, will be original. A handmade postcard will be a wonderful gift from your grandchildren.
What wedding is celebrated after 42 years of marriage?
Already in the very first line of Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy wrote that “all happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” It’s hard to disagree with him, but the second part of this saying can be omitted today, because it is not entirely appropriate on the eve of a warm family celebration, which is usually celebrated exactly 2 years after the ruby 40th anniversary of marriage.
And it doesn’t matter at all that this date is not round, because if the house is filled with love and respect for each other, then it is not at all necessary to wait for the next anniversary in order to celebrate your family’s birthday with your closest people, children and grandchildren. Mother of pearl is a beautiful and strong material, the inner lining of sea shells and the main component of precious pearls. And in this context, it is also a symbol of the beauty and durability of warm family relationships.
Short SMS congratulations
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Mother of pearl wedding – An important day, not a trivial one! And I would like to wish that your marriage is like new!
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Wedding rings, And wedding vows! White dress, 42nd wedding year! Happiness and peace, Glorious feast!
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In these short six lines, Only ellipsis - not dots... On the 42nd year since the wedding - I would like to kiss you!.. After all, the anniversary of Mother of Pearl is a reason to congratulate early in the morning!..
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SMS with congratulations flies through barriers: I know that you, spouses, are so happy about your anniversary! Nowadays the wedding symbol is the lovely Mother of Pearl! May your 42nd year be wonderful!
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Let a kiss resolve any disagreement! This year is called a mother-of-pearl wedding! You have been in a hurry to enter the house for the 42nd year - your family union is doomed to success!
From children to parents
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A tear of happiness rolled down my cheek!.. Today I dreamed of your wedding: You, dad, were in a suit and with a bouquet, Mom was wearing a white dress!.. The guests shouted “Bitterly”! Dances, songs!.. The years fly by, and you, dear ones, are together! I see you as on that day, you seem to be the bride and groom! Pearl's wedding!
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Happy Mother of Pearl Anniversary. Congratulations, daddy and mommy! There are wrinkles in the corners of the eyes from happiness... 42 years flew by quickly, like a bullet - they scorched us all, Like gunpowder, with happiness and affection! Even though they quarreled, they still loved, After all, without difficulties there is no fairy tale!
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Thank you dad for your loyalty, Thank you mom for your tenderness, Thank you, dear ones, For 42 years of happiness! Your love is endless, Like the vastness of the ocean! Let the bad weather bypass you, dear ones!
Congratulations to the couple
Close relatives and loyal friends will be present at the celebration, so the speech should be prepared carefully. Every word will be remembered, so you need to speak from the heart. A self-composed or prepared text must be learned by heart, and only elderly guests are allowed to read from a postcard.
READ
2 years of wedding: what to give for a paper anniversary
Touching words from children
A speech addressed to parents should begin with an appeal. Attention can be focused on an interesting incident from childhood that will touch everyone present.
Example: Relatives! I remember how you took me to first grade. I didn’t want to go to school, so tears came to my eyes. Seeing my sadness mixed with fear, you both leaned over and hugged me tightly from both sides. After that it became so warm that all sorrows left. I realized what a real family is. Thank you for teaching me this back in my childhood and continuing to set an example to this day, many decades later.
You can also try to look into the future in your congratulatory speech.
Example: Dear parents! Today we all gathered around the table to celebrate another anniversary. Looking at your eyes glowing with happiness and the smiles on your lips, it’s hard to believe that so many years have already passed. Every year you can remember with sadness about the past or with joy and gratitude that this happened to you. But we also shouldn’t forget that there are still dozens of years ahead, which will be filled with events, good news, and pleasant bustle. Don't forget this. And let today’s date be another beginning of a new life.
