Anniversary


An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that 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.
Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. 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 "".

Anniversary names

The Latin phrase dies natalis has become a common term, adopted in many languages, especially in intellectual and institutional circles, for the anniversary of the founding of an institution, such as an alma mater. In ancient Rome, the Aquilae natalis was the "birthday of the eagle", the anniversary of the official founding of a legion.
Anniversaries of nations are usually marked by the number of years elapsed, expressed with Latin words or Roman numerals.

Latin-derived numerical names

Latin terms for anniversaries are mostly straightforward, particularly those relating to the first twenty years, or multiples of ten years, or multiples of centuries or millennia In these instances, the name of the anniversary is generally derived from the Latin word for the respective number of years. However, when anniversaries relate to fractions of centuries, the situation is not as simple.
Roman fractions were based on a duodecimal system. From to they were expressed as multiples of twelfths and from to they were expressed as multiple twelfths less than the next whole unit—i.e. a whole unit less, or respectively. There were also special terms for quarter, half, and three-quarters. Dodrans is a Latin contraction of de-quadrans which means "a whole unit less a quarter". Thus for the example of 175 years, the term is a quarter century less than the next whole century or 175 =.
In Latin, it seems that this rule did not apply precisely for 1½. While secundus is Latin for "second", and bis for "twice", these terms are not used such as in sesqui-secundus. Instead sesqui is used by itself.
AnniversaryLatin-derived termOther termsComments
½ yearlySemiannualBiannuali.e. twice a year as opposed to biennial = every second year
1 yearAnnualPaper
2 yearsBiennialCottoni.e. in alternate years as opposed to biannual = twice a year
3 yearsTriennialLeather
4 yearsQuadrennialLinen
5 yearsQuinquennialWood
6 yearsSexennialIron
7 yearsSeptennialWool
8 yearsOctennialBronze
9 yearsNovennialCopper
10 yearsDecennialTin/Aluminium
11 yearsUndecennialSteel
12 yearsDuodecennialSilk
13 yearsTredecennialLace
14 yearsQuattuordecennialIvory
15 yearsQuindecennialCrystal
20 yearsVigintennial / VicennialChina/Porcelain-
25 yearsQuadranscentennialSilver jubilee
10000 days
Myriad
40 yearsQuadragennialRuby jubilee
50 yearsSemicentennial / QuinquagenaryGolden jubilee
60 yearsSexagennial / SexagenaryDiamond jubilee
65 yearsSapphire jubilee
70 yearsSeptuagennialPlatinum jubilee
75 yearsSemisesquicentennialPalladium jubilee
100 yearsCentennial / Centenary
125 yearsQuasquicentennialTerm is broken down as quasqui- centennial. Quasqui is a contraction from quadrans "a quarter" plus the clitic conjunction -que "and". The term was coined by Funk and Wagnalls editor Robert L. Chapman in 1961.
150 yearsSesquicentennialTerm broken down as sesqui- centennial
175 yearsDodransbicentennialDodrans is a Latin contraction of de-quadrans which means "a whole unit less a quarter". 175 years is a quarter century less than the next whole century or 175 =.
175 yearsDodransbicentennialDodrabicentennialAlternative Latin form of Dodransbicentennial
175 yearsDodransbicentennialDequasbicentennialAlternative Latin form of Dodransbicentennial
175 yearsDodransbicentennialDosquicentennialDosquicentennial has been used in modern times and this is perhaps a modern contraction of "de-quadrans". However, it seems inappropriate to combine the terms que and de when dealing with such Roman fractions. In any event, if such a conjunction was appropriate then it would perhaps more likely have been "Dosquibicentennial".
175 yearsDodransbicentennialDemisemiseptcentennialProbably a modern coined term: demisemiseptcentennial; literally one-half × one-half × seven × 100 years —also demisemiseptcentenary.
175 yearsDodransbicentennialQuartoseptcentennialProbably a modern coined term: quartoseptcentennial; literally one-quarter × seven × 100 years —also quartoseptcentenary.
175 yearsDodransbicentennialTerquasquicentennialFirst used by Bell Laboratories in celebrating its 175th anniversary as a corporation. Is a coined word for an anniversary of 175 years, but the elements of the word literally refer to an anniversary of 375 years, as follows: ter- × quasqui- × centennial
175 yearsDodransbicentennialSeptaquintaquinque-
centennial		Suggested by lexicographer Robert L. Chapman to William Safire; first appeared in Safire's column, "On Language". It is a coined word for an anniversary of 175 years, but the elements of the word literally refer to an anniversary of 35,000 years, as follows: septaquinta- × quinque- × centennial
200 yearsBicentennialBicentenary
250 yearsSestercentennial-To express 2½ in Latin it would be expressed as "half-three". The term relates to being halfway to the third integer. In Latin this is "Sestertius" which is a contraction of semis tertius —hence Sestercentennial.
250 yearsSestercentennialSemiquincentennialProbably a modern coined term: semi- × quin × centennial = 250 years. Used by Brown University in 2015.
250 yearsSestercentennialBicenquinquagenaryUsed by Princeton University in 1996, Reading, Pennsylvania in 1998, and Washington and Lee University in 1999. It is a coined word for an anniversary of 250 years: bi- × cen- + quinquagenary.
250 yearsSestercentennialQuarter-millennialMeaning one quarter of one thousand years.
300 yearsTercentenary / TricentenaryTercentennial / Tricentennial
350 yearsSesquarcentennialA modern coined term; sesquarcentennial for 350 years is deduced here from the "Sestertius" definition for 250 years above. For 350 years it relates to being halfway from the third to the fourth integer; thus a contraction of semis and quartus ; hence Sesquarcentennial.
350 yearsSesquarcentennialSemiseptcentennialProbably a modern coined term: semi- × sept × cen- × centennial
400 yearsQuadricentennialQuadricentenary / Quatercentenary
500 yearsQuincentenaryQuincentennial
600 yearsSexcentenarySexacentennial
700 yearsSeptcentennialSeptuacentennialProbably a coined term; earliest known use in March 1988. Chiang Mai Septcentennial Stadium was completed in 1991.
800 yearsOctocentenaryOctocentennial
900 yearsNonacentennial
1000 yearsMillennial
1500 yearsSesquimillennialTerm broken down as sesqui- millennial
2000 yearsBimillennial
3000 yearsTrimillennial
10,000 yearsDecamillennial

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 or durable the material associated with it. See wedding anniversary for a general list of the wedding anniversary symbols; however, there are variations according to some national traditions.
Furthermore, there exist numerous partially overlapping, partially contradictory lists of anniversary gifts, 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.