44 years! That’s an incredible amount of time to have spent with your partner. It’s odds on that you’ve spent far more time with them than you have without them. How lovely is that?
By your 44th anniversary, you’ll likely have lived through 10 different presidents in office, at least 11 leap years, 4 censuses, and an inordinate amount of cards and gifts.
In fact, we’re willing to bet that you’re running out of ideas for anniversary celebrations by your 44th!
Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered!
We’ve put together the ultimate guide to gifts and celebrations for your 44th anniversary. We’ve considered the traditional and more modern options so that you have a wide range to choose from.
About 44th Wedding Anniversaries
Designated anniversary gifts date back to the middle ages, but it was the Victorians who began the traditional list as we know it today.
Unfortunately, they only listed gifts for every fifth anniversary after the 15th. This means that many traditional lists do not include the 44th wedding anniversary.
In some places like France, the topaz gemstone is traditionally associated with the 44th year. In others such as Italy, turquoise is the order of business.
In the 20s and 30s, the Chicago Public Library compiled the US modern list of gifts. They did give a suggestion for your 44th anniversary.
That suggestion was groceries! It might seem like an odd and somewhat anticlimactic gift at first. I mean, you probably go grocery shopping every week, so what’s special about it?
Well, the idea behind grocery gifts, is that it symbolizes how you have provided for each other. It shows that you have nourished one another and will continue to nourish each other. You might be wondering, how on earth you buy a ‘grocery’ gift. Does it mean you buy the groceries that week? Well, it doesn’t have to!
5 Unique Ways to Celebrate Your 44th Wedding Anniversary
Go Out for a Lavish Meal
Remember the intention behind the gift suggestion. It’s all about nourishment and providing for one another. You could celebrate this by having a lovely meal.
Make it special by hitting up a fancy restaurant. If you really want to push the boat out, visit a Michelin Star restaurant! Alternatively, if you have a favorite place to eat, book yourselves a table and enjoy good food and good company!
Visit a Farmer’s Market
You don’t have to stick to grocery stores! Take a trip to a local farmer’s market and buy yourselves some fresh food and local delicacies.
If you don’t have a farmer’s market, check out some artisan shops for craft breweries, bakeries, or similar. Generally, these places are much more fun and inviting than your local Walmart!
Go on a Picnic
Why not put your groceries to good use by going for a picnic! This is an ideal activity to follow a morning spent in the farmer’s market! Take all your glorious artisan food, and an old blanket, and go find a beautiful spot to enjoy together.
You could have your picnic in a place that’s special to you both. Perhaps the spot you got engaged at, or your wedding venue!
Take a Cooking Class
This is a great way to learn how to use your groceries! Book yourselves in for a cooking class.
This could be in a local community center or you could splash out and make a trip to a top-quality school. Heck, if you want to celebrate in style, take a trip abroad to one of the food capitals of the world!
You could visit Italy, France, or the Mediterranean.
Bake Together
Save yourselves some money by baking your anniversary cake! You can enjoy spending time together in the kitchen and get a fabulous cake out of it!
If you’re not into sweets, consider baking a pie together for a yummy anniversary meal!
5 Best 44th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him
Just because the theme is groceries, it doesn’t mean you’re limited to picking up a 6 pack of beer and some donuts from Target.
Though, that does sound like a great gift! Here are some more creative ideas for your husband or partner.
OUR TOP PICK
Fancy Alcohol - Drinks are an important part of the grocery shop too! Whether he drinks whiskey, wine, beer, or cider, there are so many craft breweries and distilleries out there.
You can find unique and flavorful tipples to suit every kind of drinker.
Perhaps he has a particular favorite? Why not get that for him? Or go for something completely different like this California distilled whiskey.
EDITORS CHOICE
Rubs or Sauces - Perhaps your partner loves to grill, or just likes a bit of flavor in the kitchen? Why not treat them to some BBQ rubs or meat sauces?
They can whip up a delicious anniversary dinner with them so it’s a win-win really! There are so many different rubs, seasonings, and sauces out there!
It actually feels a bit daunting trying to narrow down the selection.
Why not start with a variety pack like these bbq rubs from FreshJax.
BEST VALUE
Glassware - You could get him something to enjoy his groceries out of. In particular, the liquid groceries! A good glass makes a good drink even better.
Get him a set of classy glasses that allow him to sip his bourbon or merlot in comfort and peace. This set of whiskey tumblers comes with some whiskey stones to keep his drink chilled but not watery.
While these wine glasses have a built-in aerator.
RUNNER UP
Food Box - You could eliminate the need to go grocery shopping ever again by getting him a subscription to a food box service.
You could get a meal subscription service like Hello Fresh or you could go a little more specialized.
The Carnivore Club is a meat subscription box. It sends out salamis, pepperoni, and other cured meat for you to enjoy.
You can get a one-off gift box or a monthly subscription if you’re feeling generous!
RUNNER UP
Kitchen Knives - If your partner loves to cook, help them out by getting them a beautiful knife set.
They’ll love a sharp, sleek, and professional knife set that will make mincemeat of, well, meat!
If you want quality over quantity, you could buy them something like this professional chef’s knife. Or you could splash out on a full set complete with block.
5 Best 44th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Her
OUR TOP PICK
Bougie Booze - Whether your partner’s a gin drinker, a wine sipper, or a cocktail lover there are plenty of alcoholic gifts to choose from.
You could get a craft or artisan wine or gin like this American craft gin from Leopold Bros.
To go with those spirits, you might want to pick up some mixers like this low sugar craft mixers set.
EDITORS CHOICE
Kitchen Appliance - It might seem a bit sexist to get your wife a kitchen appliance for your anniversary, but that’s not our intention.
If your wife likes to cook, why not make the process easier by getting her a bread maker or a mixer.
If she’s not massively fond of cooking, you could get her a slow cooker. This means she can throw some ingredients in and leave it alone for hours. No more standing over the stove for ages!
BEST VALUE
Gourmet chocolate - Chocolate is a bit of a classic gift. It’s ideal for birthdays, Valentines, and anniversaries.
Make it special by getting her some delicious gourmet chocolate like these malted milk ball chocolates.
If she’s more of a cookie lover, go for these sumptuous chocolate-coated cookies from Barnett’s.
RUNNER UP
Flowers
Flowers - Ok, I know it sounds a bit cliche but you can make flowers seem really special.
Head to a florist and get them to make a bouquet that includes the 44 flowers from your previous anniversary years. It’ll be beautiful and very thoughtful!
RUNNER UP
Food box- There’s no reason why this one has to be just for the men! Get your wife a subscription box for her favorite food.
If she’s a cheese lover, check out the Wisconsin Cheese Company box. If coffee is more her thing, check out the Bean Box.
5 Best 44th Anniversary Gift for the Couple
If you’re helping a couple in your life celebrate their 44th anniversary, you might want to consider buying them one of these gifts.
OUR TOP PICK
Chopping board - You could get them a personalized chopping board like this one.
It’s classy, elegant and a great tool for preparing their groceries on!
EDITORS CHOICE
Dinnerware - Dinnerware is traditionally given for earlier anniversaries.
However, by the time the 44th anniversary rolls around, we’re willing to bet they could do with some new crockery!
BEST VALUE
A dining experience - Give them a night off from cooking by giving them a voucher to a restaurant.
If you want to woo the couple, you could give them a fine dining experience voucher.
You can buy these on pretty much every experience day website like Cloud9Living.
RUNNER UP
Vintage Wine
Vintage Wine - You could help them celebrate their special night by gifting them a bottle of 44-year-old wine or port.
They can enjoy the bottle together on their anniversary.
EDITORS CHOICE
Kitchenware - To keep with the theme, you could buy the couple some kitchenware so that they can continue to provide and nourish each other.
You could get them some kitchen utensils to help them cook, or perhaps some pans.
Traditional, Modern, and Symbolic Gifts
Traditional Gift in the UK | None |
Traditional Gift in the US | None |
Traditional Gift in Spain | Turquoise |
Traditional Gift in Germany | Star |
Traditional Gift in Russia | Topaz |
Traditional Gift in France | Topaz |
Traditional Gift in Italy | Turquoise |
Flower Gift | Mixed Bouquet |
Gemstone Gift | Turquoise or Topaz |
Modern Gift | Groceries |
Final Thoughts
At first glance, the grocery theme might seem strange and difficult to buy for. However, when you think about it, you can get anything food-related! That’s a lot of scope!
After 44 years together, we’re willing to bet you know exactly what drinks they like, which foods make them smile, and how they like to enjoy their food and drink.
Let this knowledge guide you!
- History of Anniversary Gifts - June 30, 2021
- 27th year Anniversary Gifts - February 10, 2021
- 47th Anniversary Gifts - February 10, 2021