The 36th wedding anniversary is known as the bone china anniversary. In the Ukrainian tradition the 36th anniversary is the “bone” anniversary: bone is the body’s support, so it stands for the family’s backbone. Gifts are often made of bone china, the finest yet strongest porcelain. Here is what this anniversary means, how to celebrate it, what to give the couple and how to word your wishes, from short messages to a poem.
More on this topic: 35th anniversary wishes, 40th anniversary wishes, anniversary gifts for parents.
In 36 years a couple build their own traditions, rituals and little family habits. These become the backbone around which children and grandchildren gather. Some sources also call it a porcelain anniversary because of the bone-china gifts.
Anniversary names vary between sources, as the tradition grew up orally and differently from country to country. The most common Ukrainian name for the 36th anniversary is the bone china anniversary.
Thirty-six, and the family stands strong,
A backbone for home, for kin and for cheer —
May no trouble come along
And your gentle hands stay near.
Celebrate around a family table set with fine china. Bring all the generations together for a big family photo or create an album of family traditions.The previous anniversary is the 35th (coral), and the next is the 37th (muslin).
The best symbolic gift is bone china: tea cups, a dinner set or a vase. China figurines, a jewellery box, a family photo album or a book of family history also work well.
Flowers suit any anniversary: a husband gives his wife a bouquet in the morning, and guests bring flowers along with their gift. For ideas for parents, see anniversary gifts for parents.
For the 36th anniversary, give lavish roses or flowers in white, cream and ivory tones. A morning bouquet is the simplest way to say you still care.
See roses and flowers for women.
The bone china anniversary.
Bone china tableware or a vase, a family photo album or family history book — and white roses.
Wish the couple what the anniversary stands for, recall their journey together and add a bouquet — see the ideas above.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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