The birthday represents the anniversary of birth.
The concept of anniversary comes from anniversarius , a Latin word. It is about what is reiterated every year (that is, what is annual ).
Typically, the term is used with reference to the date on which an event is one year old. For example: “Tomorrow we will celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary,” “We are organizing celebrations for the company's new anniversary,” “Today marks the second anniversary of the terrible terrorist attack.”
Anniversary and birthday
The birthday , which refers to the day of an individual's birth , is the most popular anniversary. When a person turns 56, for example, they celebrate the 56th anniversary of their birth. With each passing year, you will celebrate a new birthday/anniversary.
As a curious fact, although it is correct to use the term anniversary as a synonym for birthday from an academic point of view, in everyday speech the latter is the most common, while the former is usually used by those people who do not like to admit that They are also victims of the passage of time , that is, they age.
In this sense, saying "today is my anniversary" seems to be less graphic or direct than "today is my birthday" , since instead of focusing on the passage of time it refers to a celebration . However, if we review the etymology of the term, the decision seems absurd, since, as mentioned in the first paragraph, it speaks of "something that returns every year."
The celebration of each anniversary is usually an important moment for a marriage.
Wedding celebration
It is also common to celebrate the wedding anniversary . As its name suggests, this celebration commemorates the date on which a couple got married . The different anniversaries have special names and link the celebration to an element: the third anniversary is called “leather weddings” , the fifth anniversary is known as “wooden weddings” , etc.
Currently, the general perception is that couples last less than in the past, and that the percentage of separations and divorces has increased considerably in recent decades. This has the consequence that it is no longer so common to reach the special anniversaries mentioned in the previous paragraph, much less the highest ones, such as the "pearl weddings" (at thirty years of marriage), the "ruby weddings" (at forty years), the "golden weddings" (at fifty years) and much less the "bone weddings" , almost impossible to achieve even in the absence of divorce since they celebrate one hundred years of union in marriage.
On the other hand, there are those who stay together for fear of separating, or because of different interests , and see the different anniversaries pass one by one without deserving them, so to speak, or without genuinely feeling them, as if they were trophies obtained. illegitimately.
National and other anniversaries
In each country, the anniversaries of the most important events in its history are usually celebrated. The anniversary of the declaration of independence , the anniversary of a military triumph and the anniversary of the restoration of democracy are some of the most remembered anniversaries.
Depending on the culture , there may be a rejection by younger people for learning about these dates, either by focusing on other countries or by lack of interest in history; In any case, the fault is always found in education, in the perspective that is given to children about these issues, generally taking them to the extreme of patriotism or anti-nationalism.
The founding of a company , a sporting triumph, the passing of a law and the inauguration of an infrastructure project are other events that are usually remembered each year through its anniversary.