The traditional 8 year anniversary gift is bronze, and the modern alternative is linens and lace. Debrett's British list gives bronze or pottery, and some older British lists pair bronze with salt. Bronze is the least everyday material of the first ten years, which makes the eighth a good year for one lasting object: a small sculpture, a bell, a piece of jewelry.
What is the 8 year anniversary gift?
| List | 8th anniversary gift |
|---|---|
| Traditional (US) | Bronze |
| Modern (US) | Linens and lace |
| British | Bronze or pottery (Debrett's); bronze or salt on some lists |
Debrett's adds pottery to the British eighth year and repeats it in the ninth, so the two years overlap. In the United States pottery is the ninth-anniversary material only.
Pick a year in the tool to compare the lists and see ideas at three price levels.
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Why is bronze the eighth anniversary gift?
Like the other years between five and ten, the eighth was not on the short early lists. Emily Post's list of 1922 in Etiquette has wood at five years, tin at ten and nothing in between. Bronze arrived when the list was extended to give every early year its own material, and no source from that time says why it was chosen.
The usual explanation rests on what bronze is: an alloy, mostly copper with some tin, that is harder than either metal alone. Two things joined into something stronger is an easy picture of a marriage, and most guides repeat it. Take it as a pleasant reading added later.
The position makes sense on the list as it stands. Copper is one of the materials for year seven and tin is the material for year ten, and bronze, which is made of both, sits between them.
Why is the modern gift linens and lace?
The list usually printed as the modern one grew out of the longer lists that American jewelers and retailers worked on in the 1920s and 1930s. It often names household goods, and by the eighth year the sheets and towels bought for the wedding are due for replacement. Whether or not that was the reasoning, it is a practical cue.
"Linens" in American usage means household textiles in general, not only cloth woven from flax.
Gift ideas by budget
Prices vary too much to list, so these are grouped by level.
Budget-friendly
- A bronze bookmark, key ring or bottle opener.
- A small bronze bell or a cast figure for a shelf.
- A set of cloth napkins or a table runner.
- A handmade ceramic mug, for the British version of the year.
- A lace-edged handkerchief or a lace bookmark.
Mid-range
- A bronze bracelet, pendant or pair of cufflinks.
- A bronze sundial or a wind chime for the garden.
- A sheet set or a duvet cover in linen or cotton.
- A tablecloth with matching napkins, and a dinner cooked to go with it.
- A handmade vase or serving bowl.
Splurge
- A bronze sculpture by an artist you both like.
- Bronze door hardware, a house plaque or a garden fountain.
- A full set of bed linen and towels, replacing everything at once.
- A watch with a bronze case, which darkens with wear.
Bronze develops a darker surface over time. Many people like the effect; if your spouse prefers it bright, add a polishing cloth.
Ideas for her, for him and for the two of you
- For her: a bronze cuff or ring, a small sculpture for her desk, a lace-trimmed robe or top, or linen bedding in a color she has wanted.
- For him: bronze cufflinks or a belt buckle, a bronze-cased watch, a compass or desk object, or a linen shirt.
- For the two of you: a wind chime for the porch, a bronze plaque with your wedding date for the house, new sheets and a morning with nowhere to be, or a pottery class.
If bronze is not their thing
- The modern list. Bedding, table linen or lace.
- Pottery, from the British list, which also sets you up for next year.
- Bronze as a color. A scarf, a pair of shoes or a vase in a warm metallic brown keeps the theme without the metal.
- Tourmaline. The Gemological Institute of America lists tourmaline as the eighth-anniversary gem, noting that no single authoritative list exists. It is one of the two October birthstones; see our guide to opal and tourmaline.
These lists are customs and they do not match each other, so there is no wrong answer.
What to write in an eighth anniversary card
Three short examples to adapt:
- "Eight years. Two of us, one alloy, stronger than either alone. Happy anniversary."
- "Eight years in, and you still get better with time."
- "I'd take bronze with you over gold with anyone else."
Before this came wool or copper, for the seventh anniversary; next is pottery, for the ninth. The whole chart is in gifts for every anniversary year.