2 years of marriage: features of the anniversary and traditions of celebration

Even small wedding anniversaries are an important event and a real celebration for loving spouses. This also applies to two years of marriage - an event that has its own symbols, traditions and features of the celebration.

Time is fleeting, and therefore, after the wedding and the first anniversary of marriage, the young family is already two years old. Naming and celebrating each year lived together after marriage began in the 19th century. Gradually, the tradition took root and became a good omen among married couples.

This celebration has its own symbol - paper, so the wedding is called paper. There are several more options - cotton, cardboard and even glass. Of course, the symbol of the two-year anniversary was chosen for a reason, because the relationship after the specified time period is still quite fragile, so the analogy is drawn with paper. The newlyweds devoted this time to their feelings, learned and discovered something new in each other. But life together consists not only of feelings, but also of everyday life, it is quite possible that a child has already appeared in the family, worries about which come to the fore, in light of which the spouses can devote less time to each other.

The family that has gone through this period is still fragile and can tear like paper. It is believed that 2 years from the date of the wedding is a rather difficult period, since two people are increasingly showing character traits that could be hidden or less distinguishable in the first year against the background of mutual strong feelings.The spouses have a rather serious task - the search for compromises and grinding, the distribution of roles in the family, the implementation of the goals. In addition, the spouses bear the responsibility of the child and the joint decisions that will form the basis of their strong union.

But paper is the material on which the most beautiful stories about love and happiness are written, and it depends on each of the spouses what their page will be filled with.

Although the date is not a jubilee and it hasn't been long before, the two-year anniversary has many traditions. Each option is filled with symbolism and a sense of a real holiday.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, for two years from the date of marriage, they usually hold whole shows with dressing up. The spouses act as a rooster and a hen, and the newlyweds' outfits should be made of red paper. It is this color in Chinese culture that symbolizes family prosperity and wealth, thereby spouses attract these benefits to their family and to their home.

It is customary to invite guests to the celebration, the fun is accompanied by dances, one of which is the mating dance of red birds - husband and wife, but at a certain stage one of the guests, dressed in a black rooster, enters into action and tries to discord the couple. By the end of the dance, the negative hero is defeated, which is a symbol of victory over all misfortunes that a husband and wife may encounter on their way. At the end of the holiday, it is customary to burn the outfits.

An equally colorful tradition was the celebration of the two-year anniversary in Byzantium, where the spouses prepared paper dolls for the celebration, which would become boxes for notes in which the newlyweds would describe the good and bad qualities of their soul mate.

During the celebration, they need to exchange case dolls, but so that none of the guests replace them, and the guests are assigned exactly this role - to try to steal the spouses' notes, for which they can demand a ransom. At the end of the holiday, the written lines are read out in the presence of the guests, after which they are discussed, and each of the invitees gives advice to the young on the topic of strengthening their relations.

But the Greeks see in the symbol of two years from the date of the wedding not ordinary paper, but banknotes, so the holiday has a characteristic bias, where bills are an integral attribute. In addition, the celebration takes place in a cheerful and noisy atmosphere.

The task of the newlyweds is to prepare for the holiday, as well as to restore in their memory the "money dance" that they performed at their wedding. According to the signs, it is this rhythmic dance that will help attract financial well-being to the house. Guests have their own function - during the dance of the husband and wife, they must attach as many banknotes as possible to their outfits, which will also become a gift for the family for a paper wedding and its symbol.

In Hungary, it is not a married couple who should dance on a two-year anniversary, but one wife. She, just like in Greek traditions, will perform the “money dance”, but only barefoot, and everyone who wants to dance with his young wife must pay a fee for the dance and put money in her shoe. In this gesture, the symbolism of the celebration is manifested, and also money acts as a gift to the family for a paper wedding.

The traditions and foundations of many nationalities are observed to this day., and some of the signs and scenarios for the biennial anniversary have undergone certain changes, but have remained integral attributes of a family holiday. For example, dolls participating in a celebration in Byzantium became the prototype of letters that husband and wife write to each other on the second anniversary of their marriage.

A paper wedding is not complete without gifts from relatives, guests and newlyweds to each other. The most successful symbolic present for a paper wedding is considered to be a gift in the form of a certain amount given to a couple in a paper envelope.As a rule, there should be two such envelopes from each invitee.

Since a paper wedding is not an anniversary date and is celebrated without a special scale, it is worth approaching the choice of a gift by family friends with a share of imagination and creativity. But practical gifts for a married couple from comrades will help young people to arrange their life as quickly as possible and surround themselves with beautiful things. You can choose any of the options below.

• A good choice as a joint presentation for spouses would be a gift in the form of a cotton bedding set. Such things will always come in handy in everyday life, and the fabric will act as a symbol of celebration.
• Since glass and porcelain are another interpretation of the symbol of two years of marriage, a table or tea set can be presented as a gift for the family.
• The priority will be paper items, for example, books on cooking or any other topic, photo albums, and so on.
• If a young couple is planning to update the interior in their home, you can, after consulting with them, buy a stock of wallpaper for the renovation.
• Any element of glass or paper decor can be a symbolic gift. Young people are given various figurines or souvenirs. An original gift will be a made thing to friends with your own hands.
• And also for a paper wedding, you can give a family small kitchen or household appliances, but always in cardboard packaging and with decorations made of multi-colored paper.

On the anniversary, the couple also exchange gifts with each other. There are no clear requirements regarding the type of gift for a young wife for the two-year anniversary of marriage. Usually, the husband gives his wife a gold ring as a sign of confirmation of his feelings for her.

As for a gift for a spouse, in this matter, the emphasis is often placed on a gift in the form of a certain amount. But the following possible presentation options for the husband are also considered:

• printed editions of one of the spouse's favorite writers;
• a diary in the form of a book in an expensive binding;
• a subscription to a popular men's print publication based on the preferences or hobbies of the man.

It is customary to celebrate the second anniversary of marriage in a small circle of guests, consisting of close relatives and friends of the couple. Usually, a party is held on this day, which will serve as a relaxation for the newlyweds and those invited. As a scenario for the evening, you can focus on one of the options proposed below.

If the date of the holiday allows you to make a picnic outing, you should feel free to get ready for the journey. Such a pastime will appeal to both guests and young couples. Paper multi-colored caps on the head of each guest can act as symbolic attributes; dishes can also be purchased from multi-colored disposable materials. And treats on a fire in the fresh air will not leave indifferent any of the invited relatives and friends.

You can follow the Hungarian or Greek traditions, where banknotes also served as paper, and arrange a festive evening in private. To do this, you can exchange a large bill for a smaller denomination, spread them on the bed, and arrange a swim in the money.

More creative spouses can hold a competition for each other, where banknotes will act as an incentive. An evening spent at home, but in a somewhat non-standard and cheerful atmosphere, can relieve tension, energize and ignite the fire of feelings between spouses, which may have already faded somewhat against the background of everyday problems.

A similar event can be arranged with guests. In this case, it is worth asking the invitees in advance to bring a lot of small banknotes to the party instead of a gift for the celebration. The evening can be spent organizing contests and a disco in the monetary "rain". And the subsequent cleaning of the apartment for a couple will become much more joyful than the usual household duties.

A similar scenario can be implemented anywhere - at home, outdoors or in the country. For the celebration, everyone who comes is given a paper and a pen. During the evening, guests should write down some important thought or advice for the husband and wife, perhaps in a humorous manner. And in the final, the newlyweds will pull out the leaves from a special container, learning how they look from the side. For guests, spouses can also prepare such comic predictions or notes with good parting words.

The second anniversary of your marriage can be celebrated by renting a small cafe or a banquet hall. The room should be decorated with multi-colored paper decor; two paper swans must be present on the table. The festive table must be covered with a red tablecloth, and the cutlery must be white.

An institution with an outdoor terrace or a winter garden would be a good choice. Since the anniversary is not an anniversary date, you should refuse the invitation to the toastmaster if you plan to carry out any of the above scenarios in a cafe or restaurant, a close friend or a married couple of friends can act as the organizer.

See below for how to organize your wedding anniversary.