The 35th wedding anniversary is a big deal for a number of reasons. First, it means that you have survived another year together. Next, it shows that your love has endured for 35 years. You may have followed the traditional anniversary presents to this point and now are buying coral or jade for your present, as they symbolize the strength and growth of your marriage bond.

No one is sure where or when this tradition originally started or why. Some believe that it is based on the medieval tradition of presenting wives with silver wreaths for the 25th anniversary and a gold wreath after 50 years. The first written list was published by Emily Post in her 1922 book, "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home." This list only included milestone years, but a 1957 reprint listed the first 15 years and every 5 year gift after that until the 75th anniversary.

There is both an American and British list of items, but they are very similar. The gifts are designed to represent the building strength of the marriage bond. The first year is traditionally a paper gift, the fifth year wood, the tenth gift made of tin and so on until the well-known 50th year anniversary. This is also known as the golden anniversary for the material you are supposed to gift to your spouse. These gifts build not only in strength but in monetary value. The coral and jade anniversary falls between the 30th year Pearl and the 40th year Ruby anniversaries.

Ideas for this anniversary's gifts are fairly easy to come up with, as neither material is incredibly common for household uses. Jade jewelry is always a good idea for a wife's present, but make sure there are no identical pieces in her jewelry box before buying. Get an idea of her favorite styles and designs so that she will remember the special day every time she wears the piece. For the men, a jade sculpture of some manly item like a tiger or a dragon is a good idea. For the more frugal shopper, a jade bonsai tree is also a good option.

Again, coral jewelry is a beautiful and easily found gift. A frame made of coral is a fantastic way to highlight a well-loved trip to a vacation on the beach. You can even go one step further and take a trip to a coral reef and bring a picture of the both of you back to place in these lovely frames. For men, a nautical themed gift will often incorporate coral into the design for a masculine gift he's sure to love on your special day.