Anni 1940 2010 Anni 1940 Images

An anniversary (from the Latin ''anniversarius'', from the words for year and to turn, meaning (re)turning yearly; known in English since c. 1230) is a day that commemorates and/or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. For monthly recurrences, one might say ''mensiversary'', from the Latin word ''mensis'', for ''month'', and ''versus'', meaning ''to (re)turn''. ''Mensiversary'' was used in a 1925 Time magazine article, titled ''18th Mensiversary''.

Anniversary names

Birthdays (v.) are the most common type of anniversary, where the birth date of a person is commemorated annually. The actual celebration is sometimes moved for practical reasons, as in the case of an official birthday.
Wedding anniversaries are also often celebrated on the same day of the year as the wedding occurred.
Death anniversary. The Latin phrase ''dies natalis'' (literally birth day) has become a common term, adopted in many languages, especially in intellectual and institutional circles, for the anniversary of the founding ("legal or statutory birth") of an institution, such as an ''alma mater'' (college or other school). Even in ancient Rome, we know of the ''[dies] Aquilae natalis'' ("birthday of the eagle", anniversary of the official founding of a legion). Most countries around the world celebrate national anniversaries, for example the United States Bicentennial. These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption of a new constitution or form of government. The important dates in a sitting monarch's reign may also be commemorated, an event often referred to as a ''. Anniversaries of nations are usually marked by the number of years elapsed described with Latin words or Roman numerals.

Latin-derived numerical names

Latin terms for anniversaries are mostly straight forward, particularly those relating to the first twenty years (1-20), those relating to multiples of ten years (30, 40, 60, 70 etc.), and those relating to multiples of centuries or milennia (100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000 etc.) In these instances, the anniversary generally comes from a derivative of the Latin word for the respective number of years. However, when anniversaries relate to fractions of centuries (125, 150, 175, 250 years - i.e. 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.5 centuries) the situation is not as simple. Roman fractions were based on a duodecimal system. From 1/12 to 8/12 they were described as multiples of twelfths (''uncia'' "twelfth"; the source of the English words ''inch'' and ''ounce'') and from 9/12 to 11/12 they were described as multiple-twelfths less than the next whole unit - i.e. a whole unit less 3/12, 2/12 or 1/12 respectively. There were also special terms for quarter (''quadrans''), half (''semis''), and three-quarters (''dodrans''). ''Dodrans'' is a Latin contraction of ''de-quadrans'' which means "a whole unit less a quarter" (''de'' means "from"; ''quadrans'' means "quarter". Thus for the example of 175 years, the term is a quarter century less than the next whole (bi)century or 175 = (-25 + 200). In Latin it seems that this rule did not apply literally for 1-½. Whereas "secundus" is Latin for "second", or "bis" for "twice" these terms are not used such as in sesqui-secundus. Instead just sesqui (or ses) is used by itself. This may be because it relates to a ratio of one - thus it means "and a half" compared to "one". (It may also be because 1/8 in Latin is ''sescuncia, sescunciae'' (from ''sesqui''- + ''uncia'', i.e. 1½ ''uncias'') defined as one-and-a-half twelfths (3/2 x 1/12 = 1/8).) Therefore care needs to be taken when determining anniversary names. Often unfortunate results occur when new anniversary names are coined by ''adding'', ''subtracting'' or ''multiplying'' the root elements inapproriately when dealing with either whole numbers or fractions. _

Anniversary symbols

Many anniversaries have special names. ''Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home'' by Emily Post, published in 1922, contained suggestions for wedding anniversary gifts for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 and 75 years. Wedding anniversary gift suggestions for other years were added in later editions and publications; they now comprise what is referred to as the "traditional" list. Generally speaking, the longer the period, the more precious and/or durable the material associated with it. See wedding anniversary for a general list of the wedding anniversary symbols; however, there are variations in some national traditions. Furthermore, there exist numerous partially overlapping, partially contradictory lists of anniversary gifts (such as wedding stones), separate from the 'traditional' names. The concepts of a person's birthday stone and zodiac stone, by contrast, are fixed for life according to the day of the week, month or astrological sign corresponding to the recipient's birthday.

See also

Wedding anniversary

References

Sources and External links

Creative Anniversary Calculator
Extensive (and often contradictory) lists of anniversary names from ''The Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math''