It's already been 4 years since the wedding! The couple successfully passed the period when the romantic, “candy-bouquet” relationship between lovers gave way to everyday life, and they had to adapt to each other. They learned to listen carefully to the words and wishes of their “halves”, make reasonable compromises, and give in something for the sake of family well-being. Many couples have children. And the time has come to celebrate 4 years of marriage, or linen wedding, as this anniversary is called.
Why is a wedding called linen?
But for what reason did this wedding get such a name? There are several explanations for this.
- Flax is a plant whose fibers are tightly woven. Thus, as it were, a hint is given: in 4 years the spouses have already gotten used to each other, become one flesh and blood.
- Linen fabric is much more durable than, for example, chintz fabric; it cannot be torn so easily. Not to mention the paper! It also symbolizes the relationship between a husband and wife who have lived together for 4 whole years. A marriage that has lasted so long already has the right to be considered quite strong, although it cannot, of course, be compared with a union of truly experienced spouses.
- In former times, the presence of linen products in a family indicated wealth and well-being. That is, it was believed that a family that had linen curtains, tablecloths, towels, etc., stood firmly on its feet and was not in danger of poverty. Just 4 years is quite a sufficient period for the spouses to get used to running a joint household and improve their life.
Original do-it-yourself gifts for the 4th linen wedding anniversary
A handmade item can be a much nicer gift than something purchased. If you have any talent, use it to please the heroes of the occasion.
Gift ideas for a married couple on their 4th wedding anniversary:
- portrait;
- song or poem;
- box, cup, other wooden product;
- vases, pots, other fruits of pottery;
- photo collage or video about the life of young spouses;
- floral composition with flowers and flax seeds;
- various crafts, wax and linen souvenirs.
DIY gift for a linen wedding anniversary: a bouquet of flowers
You should soberly assess your creative abilities. If they are not enough to create a truly beautiful or useful thing, then it is better to play it safe and buy a practical gift. And a hand-made souvenir will come as a small but pleasant bonus.
How to celebrate a linen wedding
Previously, at a linen wedding, the husband was supposed to make straw dolls with his own hands and place them in the “red corner” under the icons. And the wife was required to decorate towels (“rushnyki”) with embroidery, and her husband’s shirt, which she had to sew from the linen fabric she had woven. My husband wore this shirt all day, proudly showing it off to his family and friends: they say, this is how skillful and hardworking my wife is!
The dolls made by the husband symbolized the strength of the marriage; they were carefully kept until the next wedding anniversary. It was believed that then the marriage would be especially strong and happy.
In addition, this tradition was widespread in many areas. When 4 years passed after the wedding, the guests gathered for the celebration tightly entangled the spouses with a rope. If they failed to free themselves, it was considered a good sign: the union should be long and strong! (Presumably, the husband and wife did not try very hard to extricate themselves).
In some areas, the wife was supposed to weave a linen bedspread during the period that had passed since the wedding. And at dawn of the 4th anniversary, she laid him on top of her sleeping husband. If the canvas completely covered him (with his head), this was a sign that everything was fine in the family and the wife was happy with her husband. If the linen bedspread was short, the husband had to seriously think about: is he doing everything right, is he not offending his wife?
Homemade decorations made of flax and straw were placed on the table at which the celebration was celebrated, and after the guests left, these products were burned. Thus, the family was protected from everything bad that could disrupt the strength of the marriage bond.
Now, of course, these traditions are considered outdated, especially those related to weaving. And the linen wedding is celebrated the way the spouses themselves want. But since flax is considered a symbol of strong marriage relationships, home warmth and comfort, it is better to celebrate this date in the family “nest” with your closest relatives and friends. That is, at home or in the country.
What to give young friends for their linen wedding anniversary?
In the old days there was an interesting ritual for a linen wedding. The husband and wife were tied tightly to each other with linen ropes.
It was believed that if a couple could not get out of the bonds, then they would not be in danger of separation.
After all, ropes symbolized family ties . Nowadays this ritual is rarely performed, but in vain! If the friends of the young spouses take the time to get a rope, they will not only respect traditions, but will also create a cheerful festive atmosphere.
Rituals and signs for a linen wedding: ties with ropes
But you still have to find a cool gift for your friends for their 4-year wedding anniversary. The symbols of this holiday are linen and wax, so ideally the gift should contain at least one of these materials.
A practical and convenient option is a linen tablecloth with an unusual design . If finances allow, it is better to give the family a whole set: tablecloth, napkins, chair covers.
Friends can give the family other interesting gifts for the fourth anniversary:
- beautiful candlestick;
- painting or cartoon on canvas;
- a wax seal with symbols important to the spouses;
- wax figurines symbolizing husband and wife;
- Photo album.
for a husband and wife to give each other money, but no one forbids the couple’s friends to do so. To prevent the gift from looking boring and banal, you can wrap it in a beautiful linen bag.
If young spouses love everything new and unusual, then one of the options proposed below will certainly give them a lot of pleasant impressions:
- horse riding;
- hot air balloon flight;
- kayaking or dog sledding;
- parachute jump or from a bridge.
An original gift for a linen wedding: a horse ride.
Friends can please the young family with cool souvenirs, unusually shaped candles, T-shirts with funny inscriptions. The main thing is that the gift is fun and atmospheric.
Anniversary decorations: interior and festive table
When celebrating a linen wedding, you need to pay special attention to decorative elements made from this material. These could be tablecloths, curtains, napkins. Long embroidered linen towels will decorate any room very well.
It is advisable to serve on the table simple, unpretentious, but satisfying and tasty dishes that used to be in any home, even a poor one: boiled and fried potatoes, sauerkraut, pickles, various vegetables, mushrooms with onions and butter. Although this is not a strict requirement, and if the hostess wants to show off her culinary skills by preparing an exquisite treat, good luck!
Variations in the name of the 4-year anniversary
- Linen wedding is usually called
rope, since the souls and life path of each spouse were very closely intertwined over 4 years and they became like a rope twisted in half. After this, it is believed that it will not be so easy to separate the spouses.
- From the north-west the tradition came to us to call a linen wedding a wax wedding.
After all, wax that has been heated is a material that is very susceptible to external factors; it is very plastic. It is wax that is a symbol of the influence of spouses on each other.
In the process of “grinding in,” their characters will melt and take the desired shape for a further comfortable existence in the family.
- In Germany, this anniversary is called the amber anniversary.
- For some reason, the Netherlands decided to call the 4 years they lived together a silk wedding.
What is customary to give for a linen wedding?
What do spouses get for a linen wedding? The ideal option is to present gifts made from linen or with the addition of this material. Such as a set of bed linen, tablecloths, curtains, napkins, towels. Useful and practical products will come in handy in any home! You can also present decorative elements knitted from linen threads - macrame, pictures.
And also, since many nations call a linen wedding a “wax” wedding, a set of scented candles, especially in elegant candlesticks, would be a good gift.
What can spouses give each other for their 4th wedding anniversary?
It is believed that the four-year mark symbolizes the transition to a mature relationship; after the linen wedding, the husband and wife are no longer called young. Over the years they have lived together, they manage to properly understand the hobbies and passions of their other half, and find out the innermost desires of their loved one. You should definitely take advantage of this when choosing an anniversary gift. But don’t forget about traditions ; the gift should contain linen or wax elements.
Gifts for the wife for a wax wedding
Women are more sentimental than men, so they value not only practical gifts. A representative of the fairer sex will certainly be touched by a romantic surprise dinner with candles.
You can go even further - warm up the bathroom for your loved one, pour wine into a glass, arrange scented candles. This will allow your wife to relax as well as in a spa. And the husband will probably not lose out, because the evening is unlikely to end with a bath.
Romantic evening as a wedding anniversary gift for your wife
A surprise evening is a good gift, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to it. Ideally, you should supplement it with at least a small material trinket that will remind your wife of this date.
4th Anniversary Gift Options for Wife:
- linen clothing: dress, blouse, sundress, trouser suit;
- cosmetics containing beeswax;
- decorations made of linen ropes;
- festive bouquet with flax flowers;
- diary or photo album with linen cover;
- large soft toy made of linen.
There are other things that you can give your wife for a linen wedding.
Gifts for husband for wax wedding
Many men have serious hobbies: fishing, sports, some kind of craft. If your husband also has a hobby, rejoice, because this is an almost inexhaustible source of ideas! Please him with a practical thing that will definitely come in handy in the future.
To comply with the theme of the holiday, in addition to the main gift, it is advisable to buy or make yourself a small souvenir made of flax
Men also love things that make life more comfortable. In this regard, you can give your spouse a gift from this list:
- technical devices: flash drive, fitness bracelet, organizer, player, e-book;
- stylish and practical accessories: wristwatch, phone case, laptop bag;
- household little things that contribute to comfort: a thermal mug, a cup stand, a cushion for the workplace.
A practical gift for your husband for a linen anniversary - a thermos with mugs.
It is better not to give money, because a good anniversary gift should be at least a little personal, symbolizing your warm feelings for your spouse. More information about what to give your husband for his 4th wedding anniversary can be found in this article.
What to give your wife for her 4th wedding anniversary?
The linen theme allows you to give your loved one high-quality clothes made from linen.
And such a gift will make any woman happy.
But don’t stop at generally accepted options, look for non-standard approaches to congratulating your only woman.
You can also please your spouse:
- designer linen bag or cosmetic bag;
- expensive cosmetics with beeswax;
- a ring with blue topaz, because topaz patronizes this holiday;
- costume jewelry with linen threads;
- portrait made on linen canvas.
And don't forget about the flowers. Look for an original flax pot. Such a gift will remind you of a family celebration for a long time.
Wedding family traditions: celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary
Behind the beauty and unusualness of the centuries-old traditions associated with a linen wedding lies the mystery of marital relations.
If desired, you can exactly repeat the ritual actions, which have an unambiguous and rather thoughtful meaning.
On a holiday morning, the “young” wife covered her sleeping husband with linen.
She wove this fabric herself, starting from the first day of their marriage. The only reason to continue weaving was not those rare free minutes, but the good deeds of the husband.
So on the fourth anniversary, my husband received real gratitude for his kind words and help around the house.
And those careless men who received a scanty bedspread, unable to warm them with a woman’s love, had to think hard: “What prevented my beloved from creating a worthy canvas in four years?”
It is possible to recreate such a ritual action in modern life.
It is not necessary to look for a weaving loom after the wedding and learn unusual skills.
You can buy a linen sheet or fabric and, in honor of every kind word or deed of your husband, embroider a beautiful flower or pattern on it.
So, on the morning of the 4th wedding anniversary, the spouse will receive either an unforgettable colorful bedspread, or a faceless piece of fabric.
It was also a beautiful custom for spouses to exchange linen clothes.
A woman had to sew a shirt or suit for her husband herself.
But the complexity and unusualness of such a gift was that it was impossible to take measurements.
In this way they found out how well the wife got to know her only man over four years.
Give your husband a 4 year wedding anniversary gift in the form of a linen shirt.
This outfit would be appropriate for a festive celebration in honor of a linen wedding.
The man also had to try to please his beloved.
Linen products have always been considered rich and expensive decorations that were inaccessible to every family.
On the occasion of the wedding anniversary, the husband gave his other half a “stylish” embroidered linen sundress for those times, which became a source of pride and a woman’s favorite holiday outfit.
Clothing made from linen fabric has not lost its relevance today.
It is not necessary to order or look for a ritual sundress for your beloved in fashion boutiques. She will also be delighted with a beautiful blouse that can be worn to a wedding banquet.
If a baby is growing up in the family, do not forget about his linen shirt.
A little angel dressed in linen clothes will evoke not only tender glances from guests, but also parents’ pride in the unity of family traditions.
Be sure to purchase new bed linen for the fourth wedding anniversary. It, of course, must be linen.
The old one, given as a gift for a chintz wedding, had already worn out and become unusable. The new thing should last more than one year. Therefore, preference is given to high-quality canvas.
