4 years of marriage: what kind of wedding is it and how is it celebrated?

Many people after marriage do not celebrate the next anniversary of their marriage. And they do not even suspect that each year of life together has its own name, as well as traditions for celebrating a significant date. Four years from the date of the wedding, albeit a small date, but also important, which should be taken with all the attention.

In different countries, the date of the four years from the date of marriage has its own name. In Holland it is celebrated as a silk wedding, in Germany - as amber. Even in European countries, she was given the name wax. And if you think about it, it really makes sense. For 4 years of life together, spouses learn to be compliant in relation to each other. As wax changes under the influence of external circumstances, so husband and wife adjust to each other.

In Russia, such an anniversary is called linen. Since linen fabric is practical, such that it is not easy to tear, and besides, clothes made of it have always been valued so much that only wealthy people could afford it, so the meaning of this name is obvious. A married couple who have maintained love and understanding over the years is able to achieve material well-being and raise the level of relationships in family life to incredible heights. Four more years of marriage are celebrated as a rope wedding. It is believed that by this time the spouses were intertwined like ropes.

In Russia, there were traditions of celebrating the dates of married life. For example, four years after the wedding, it was customary to tie the wife and husband with ropes. They were tied to chairs. If they could not get out of the bondage, it was considered a good sign.This means that the spouses will be in a happy marriage, being tied by strong bonds. And also on the date of four years of marriage in the morning, when the sun just rises, the wife covered her husband with a linen blanket. The woman began to weave this blanket even before she got married.

By the blanket one could judge the wife's feelings for her husband. If it was large, it spoke of excellent prospects for marriage, and if it was short, the husband should have thought about how much love and attention he gave to his wife over the years he lived together. Over time, they stopped weaving linen blankets, but the tradition has not gone anywhere. Girls began to make embroidery on a piece of fabric and, after getting married, continued this work. By the beauty and richness of the embroidery created in four years, one could judge the well-being in marriage - such is a simple and visual psychological test.

The embroidered fabric was used to create the sheet, which was used to make the matrimonial bed on the day of the wedding anniversary, and then this item became the family property. On the fourth wedding anniversary, it was customary for the godfather to give the goddaughter, who celebrated the fourth date of marriage, a chest or a spinning wheel and a spindle. The godmother presented her with linen fabric or ready-made linen clothes. The spouses, in return, had to treat the godparents with wine and fresh pies. Such pastries were considered a symbol of security.

For the fourth anniversary of marriage, the wife had to sew a linen shirt for her husband. She did it with her own hands and without measurements. The success of the work depended on how much the spouse got to know her lover. In an embroidered shirt, donated by his life partner on the day of the fourth anniversary of his marriage, the husband received guests who showered the spouses with linseeds, sweets or coins. In this way, wealth was attracted to the family. In preparation for the holiday, it was the husband's duty to decorate the table. He had to make figurines of the bride and groom for him from flax stalks.

The four-year anniversary of living together in marriage can only be conditionally called an anniversary. Relatives and close friends are usually invited to it. It is not customary to celebrate a linen wedding on a grand scale. As a rule, it is celebrated at home, although in our time it is hardly considered shameful to go to celebrate in a cafe or restaurant. According to tradition, you need to put a linen tablecloth and napkins on the table, because it is believed that this will strengthen the relationship of the spouses. And also an attribute of this holiday are wax candles, which should be lit before the arrival of guests. Decorations in the form of figurines tied with linen thread will also be a symbol of the strength of relationships and a tribute to the tradition of celebrating a linen wedding.

Treats for the 4th anniversary of marriage should not be complicated, as long as they are tasty and satisfying. Although the hostess should not limit her cooking skills. She has a great occasion to demonstrate what she has learned over the years of living with her husband. A woman can cook a variety of dishes, from salad to birthday cake. It is believed that if a married couple celebrating the fourth wedding anniversary has not yet had children, there should be a lot of sweets on the table. First of all, from the category of homemade baking, which will attract health and offspring to the family.

At the holiday, both home and purchased alcohol is quite appropriate. But do not forget that we are not talking about a "wide wedding", so you should not make large stocks of such drinks. The first toast is usually made by the godparents or the parents of the spouses. Then friends and relatives can do it. It is better to give gifts in the midst of the holiday, when everyone has already relaxed and felt at home.

On the fourth wedding anniversary, it is customary for the husband and wife to exchange gifts. The most suitable for a wife are the following:

• linen clothes;
• cosmetics based on bee products;
• graceful candle holders;
• objects of art;
• a song composed in honor of his wife;
• linen textiles;
• collage of joint photographs;
• jewelry made of precious metals with a "rope" design;
• amber jewelry (by analogy with the traditions of Germany, where amber symbolizes the strength of family ties);
• bouquet of wild flowers with flax sprigs.

A wife can give her husband gifts such as:

• items of clothing made of silk or linen;
• alcohol of forty or four years old;
• DIY embroidered towels or paintings.

It is clear that it is not at all necessary to be limited to the proposed list. Each married couple has their own interests and preferences. Therefore, today anything can be a gift, from a joint parachute jump to a trip to rest abroad. A good book or a spinning rod can also make a loved one happy. To what extent relatives and friends will guess with gifts by the date depends on the extent to which they know the preferences of the spouses. Practical things will be a win-win option - bed linen, elegant bedspreads and tablecloths, original sofa pillows.

An original move would be to present the husband and wife celebrating an important date with tickets for free trips to the theater or tickets to a popular show. Jewelry with the same design can also please the heroes of the occasion. In addition, they will subsequently remind them of the past holiday and the joyful moments of life together. A symbolic gift is a set of wax candles. Although any gift wrapped in linen "packaging" or packed in a bag made of this fabric will already acquire special significance. As well as products in the macrame technique, symbolizing a strong "rope connection" between spouses.

Parents on one side and the other can give a couple of clothes for children. And, by the way, only they alone can do it according to the rules of etiquette. Basically, close older relatives give more expensive gifts to spouses celebrating a linen wedding. This is not forbidden to friends, although they can present something humorous from the category of "jokes". Although, of course, the main thing is not gifts and not adherence to traditions, but the desire to preserve the love and respect of a man and a woman for each other, no matter how many anniversaries of life together are celebrated by a married couple.

You will learn more about what to give for the 4th anniversary of marriage in the following video.