Anniversary Traditions in China and Japan

The practice of giving gifts based on the number of years that a couple has been married originated in Germany during the middle ages, and has become popular in most European countries as well as countries originally colonized by Europeans such Australian, Canada and the United States.

Chinese Wedding Anniversary

In Asia, people also celebrate wedding anniversaries, but many follow a tradition based on numerology. According to numerology, certain wedding anniversaries are lucky while others are unlucky. And how you celebrate depends on whether you are marking a lucky wedding anniversary or an unlucky one.

The current list of gifts associated with each wedding anniversary is partly a modern invention and partly also a very ancient tradition.

In China and Japan, wedding anniversaries that are multiples of 4, are considered lucky and are usually celebrated with much fanfare among family and friends. Anniversaries that are odd numbered, are considered unlucky and therefore are not celebrated.

The one's fourth, eighth, twelfth anniversaries (and so on) are considered lucky and celebrated. But a 25th wedding anniversary, which is usually considered a significant happy milestone in the West, would be considered unlucky.