The Traditional Ring Finger Meaning
The tradition of wearing an engagement and/or wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is a romantic oneâbut the meaning is totally untrue. Kristen Lawler-Trustey, a spokeswoman for jewelry brand Forevermark, explains that the ancient Romans believed this finger had a vein that ran directly to the heartâthe Vena Amoris, or “Vein of Love.” So of course, couples in love should wear the symbol of their love and devotion on that lifeline.
Today, we know there’s no such vein , yet the tradition of wearing the engagement and wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand continues here in the US. But there are some countries, says Zaven Ghanimian, CEO of Simon G Jewelry, where the ring finger of the right hand is the more popular choice for brides and grooms to wear their rings, like in Russia, Greece and Colombia.
Want to know more about which finger and hand to wear your wedding, engagement or promise ring? Read on.
Why Is The Third Finger So Important
Most couples place importance on the tradition of the correct finger. Culture means we adhere to strict customs. When it comes to engagement rings, the engagement ring finger always dictates where an engagement ring sits on the hand. The same can be said for other romantic ring styles, including the pre-engagement, commitment ring or promise ring.
Why Is The Wedding Ring On The Left Hand
Have you ever wondered why you’re supposed to wear your wedding ring on the fourth finger of your left hand? Is it possible to wear the ring on another finger? While there are no hard and fast rules for which finger to wear your wedding ring on, in most Western cultures including the United States, it’s traditional to wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand.
Why Is the Fourth Finger on the Left Hand the Ring Finger?
The tradition of wearing your wedding ring on the fourth finger of your left hand dates back thousands of years. During ancient Egyptian times, people believed that a vein, called the vena amoris or vein of love, ran from the heart to the tip of the fourth finger of the left hand. Wearing a wedding ring over that vein symbolized the strong love two people share. In the 16th century, England’s King Edward VI declared that all couples must wear their wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand.
Before the king’s decree, most couples wore their wedding rings on the thumb or middle finger of the left hand. In certain countries such as India, Poland, Greece, and Russia, the couple wears their wedding rings on the fourth finger of the right hand. Today, scientists know that all the fingers of both hands have a vein that runs through them, so in reality, the couple can choose whichever fingers they like to show their commitment to each other. Ultimately, the choice of which finger to wear your wedding ring is yours.
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Why Do Women Wear Engagement Rings On Their Left Hand
A diamond engagement ring represents your unconditional love to one another.
For many years, women and men around the world have been wearing diamond engagement rings to represent their unconditional love for one another. But the question remains, where did this age-old tradition originate from and most importantly, why do we wear our rings on the left hand? Find out everything there is to know about the tradition that dates back to ancient times below:
Why Wedding Ring On Left Hand
The ritual of exchanging wedding rings may be traced back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome, among other civilizations. Every tribe in the world has chosen to wear their wedding rings on the fourth finger of their left hands because they think that there is a vein on this finger that leads straight to the heart.
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Why Do Some People Wear Their Wedding Ring On The Right Hand
If you do not wish to adhere to custom, there is nothing stopping you from putting your wedding ring on your right hand. You should be the one who gets to decide how things work!Pin
Some people choose to do this because they find it to be more comfortable, while others do it because they feel that it gives them a more attractive appearance. However, you should be aware that in some cultures, it is customary to wear the wedding band on the left hand. If you move the ring to the right hand, this may be interpreted as a sign that you have lost your spouse and are no longer married.
It is not inappropriate for you to wear your ring on the right hand if that is how you like to do so nevertheless, you should be aware that in the UK, some individuals may believe that the band represents a different connotation because of where it is worn.
But if you decide to wear your wedding band on your right hand, youll be joining a large number of other people who do the same thing! It is customary for married couples in some countries, including Bulgaria, Germany, Norway, Russia, Denmark, and Poland, to wear their wedding rings on the right hand.
Because the left hand was regarded as dirty and unfortunate in India, people have always worn their wedding bands on the right hand. Orthodox Christians and Greek brides and grooms traditionally wear their wedding rings on the right hand. The right hand is also the traditional position for Western wedding rings.
Where To Wear An Engagement Ring
When deciding where to wear your engagement, it all comes down to your culture and preference. In the US, its common to wear the engagement ring on the left ring finger, the same place where the wedding ring goes. In many counties of the world, couples put their engagement rings on the ring finger of the other hand, not the one where wedding rings go.
Interestingly, its becoming increasingly more common for men to wear engagement rings, with the practice being especially common in same-sex couples. In the US, most homosexual couples will wear their wedding and engagement rings on the ring finger of the right hand to set themselves apart from heterosexual couples.
So what about wearing your engagement and wedding rings together? Well, this is totally acceptable and commonly practiced today. If you want to wear both rings on the same hand, you can simply stack them by wearing them on top of each other. Many brides choose to wear their wedding ring closest to the heart at the base of the finger with the engagement ring being closer to the knuckle. As for your wedding day, simply move your engagement ring from the left hand to the right hand right before the ceremony and have your spouse place the engagement ring back on the left hand on top of the wedding band after or during the ceremony.
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Why Do We Wear Engagement And Wedding Rings On Our Left Hands
2 min read
In many Western cultures from the UK to the USA, Canada and a variety of European countries – engagement rings and wedding bands are traditionally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. Whether somebody who enjoys playing by the rules or an individual who doesnt tend to follow suit, its feasible that this is a custom youll have embraced without a second thought.
But whats the story behind the rule? Why is this digit the chosen vehicle for jewels so precious?
The Engagement Ring Finger Meaning
It wasn’t until more recently that engagement rings appeared on the scene. “The first recorded use of a diamond engagement ring occurred in 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a ring featuring hogback diamonds arranged in the shape of the Gothic letter M,” Lawler-Trustey says.
His engagement ring choice then sparked a trendâfor more than one reason. “Diamonds have long been an unwavering symbol of a couple’s eternal love and commitment to one another,” Lawler-Trustey says. “A diamond is the hardest and most durable naturally occurring substance found on Earth, making it the perfect choice to represent enduring, everlasting love and the promise of forever. Each diamond is also incredibly rare and unique. No two diamonds are alike, just as each couple’s love has its own unique story.”
Still, diamonds aren’t a requirement for an engagement ring. They can have other gemstones, or whatever else suits your sense of style. For example, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton has a blue sapphire engagement ring, Carrie Underwood has a canary yellow diamond and Jessica Simpson has a red ruby engagement ring. Emerald engagement rings and black diamond engagement rings are other trendy alternatives to the classic bauble. Pearl engagement rings and moonstone engagement rings are other non-diamond engagement rings to consider.
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Why Do We Wear Wedding Rings
Biological studies have proofed this to be a false fact, but this has not caused the tradition to be forgotten. While it is known today that the left hands ring finger does not really contain this vein of love, people still prefer to follow this ancient tradition and wear their wedding ring on their left hand.
In the Northern and Central parts of Europe, people often prefer the right hand, however. The particular countries that have chosen not to follow these traditions, but rather to place their wedding rings on the right hands ring finger, includes Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, Austria, Poland and Bulgaria. Some areas in Belgium also chooses the right hand instead of the left hand.
How Did The Wedding Ring Come About Becoming A Symbol Of Marriage
The history of the wedding ring can be traced back to almost a thousand years ago. In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh invented the usage of words and among those words, the circle represents forever and eternity. The Egyptians at that time regarded the circle similar to time, bearing the meaning that there is neither a beginning, nor an end, and at the same time it is regarded as a reminder from their God. This is the reason they invented wedding rings as a symbol representing eternal love between the newly wedded.
At the very beginning, rings are made out of paper reed, soft rush and aloe vera etc. When a man puts on the ring on a womans hand, it means that he possesses the confidence and power to take care of her and their family.
After Rome has taken over Egypt, although they followed the Egyptian tradition of wearing the wedding ring but they changed the original significance of it. The wedding ring later became the symbol of ownership of a woman to a man. Once the woman has accepted the wedding ring, the exchange of wedding ring becomes a ritual that symbolizes the promise to a marriage and the woman is no longer allowed to remove it and or to request for a divorce. The material of the wedding ring also changed from plants to metal. Iron was first introduced to replace the plant which carries the meaning of power and strength. Nevertheless it was later being replaced by some other metal to curb the problem of corrosion.
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A Practical Explanation For Wearing An Engagement Ring On The Left Hand
Since most people are right-handed, there is a certain practical sense to wearing an engagement ring on the left hand. An engagement ring and wedding band receive less wear than if worn on the dominant hand. Some refer to the right hand as the active hand. The opposing hand causes less wear for wedding bands and engagement rings.
What Finger Does A Promise Ring Go On
Unlike engagement and wedding rings, the promise ring is a tradition dating back to the 16th century that’s commonly misunderstood, since the ring used to signify the promise that an engagement would ensue. Now, that’s not always the case, since some couples might not be ready for impending marriage, but want to show their commitment somehow.
So, what is a promise ring exactly? Today, a promise ring can have any number of personal meanings typically it’s a symbol of an exclusive relationship and/or of love. “The gifting of promise rings has been an age-old tradition, for couples who are in a steady relationship, and symbolizing their newfound love and commitment to each other,” Lawler-Trustey says.
It can also mean the couple has promised to one day get married. Or in the case of purity rings, they may have promised to remain abstinent until their wedding day. Some believe promise rings are pre-engagement ringsâand while it isn’t always, it can be. “Many times, engagement rings inspire responses of ‘How did he propose, when’s the date, what are your colors and where are you getting married?’ If you don’t want to jump into the wedding planning process, a couple may choose to go with a promise ring,” Ghanimian says. “It’s a symbol that marriage is where the relationship is headed eventually, when you’re both ready.”
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Which Hand Does The Engagement Ring Go On
In Western countries, tradition suggests the engagement ring goes onto the fourth digit of the left hand. The tradition dates back to Roman times. In fact, they believed this finger had a vein that ran directly to the heart, the Vena Amoris, meaning a vein of love.
The fourth digit of the left hand is sometimes referred to as the third finger of the left hand. All sources agree on the left hand, the second-from-smallest finger. Remember, the ring finger is not the fourth finger as some sources suggest.
Engagement rings never go on the index finger, although some people choose to wear their rings on alternative fingers for specific reasons. Browse any engagement ring catalogue and you will see numerous examples of models wearing rings on the left hand ring finger.
For men and women, the engagement ring and wedding ring go on the left hand.
Some call the appropriate finger the engagement ring finger or refer to it as the wedding ring finger or marriage finger. All terms point to the same third finger of the left hand.
How Do I Measure The Size Of My Ring Finger
A surprising amount of factors go into sizing up a ring finger. In addition to the shape and size of your finger, you’ll also need to consider your lifestyle and the actual ring you have in mind. If you’re frequently partaking in activities that might cause your finger to swell like physical exertion or long travel, you’ll need to keep that in mind. Climate is an additional factor as hands and fingers may be more likely to swell in the summer and less likely to swell in the winter due to the cold. The width of the band will also impact the sizing as thicker bands tend to have a tighter fit.
To ensure the perfect fit, the best time to measure is when your body feels at its most normalso at room temperature during the middle of the day , preferably not after hitting the gym or post hot meal. Ring guards or beads can help offset slight fluctuations in finger size if they arise. If you feel unsure about your ring size, consider getting professionally measured.
Selle advises that if you’re intending to switch the placement of the rings, either from one hand to the other or to different fingers, you’ll need to “take into account that both fingers might not be the same size.”
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Why Does The Wedding Ring Go On The Ring Finger
Theres a simple reason why we wear wedding rings on the ring finger, a tradition so common that the finger is actually called the ring finger because of it. This tradition goes back in time for centuries. In old times, the Romans thought that the vein located in the ring finger went all the way to ones heart but that veins in other fingers didnt. So to further signify the love that the married couple had for each other, they wore their wedding rings on the finger that had the love vein in it.
Can I Wear Rings On My Ring Finger If Im Not Engaged Or Married
An old wives tale denotes that wearing a non-committal ring on your left-hand ring finger could be bad luck. Not the superstitious type? If the ring fits, wear it! That being said, wearing a ring on that finger could signify to others that you are in a committed relationship, which might not be ideal if youre out on the dating scene.
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Guide To Wearing Your Engagement And Wedding Rings
have been exchanged as part of wedding traditions for hundreds of years. Theyve become universally recognized as symbols of promise, devotion and everlasting love A Diamond Is Forever. But on which hand and finger should your engagement and wedding rings be worn, and how are they worn around the world?
Problems Withwearing Your Ring On Your Right Hand
The most obvious reasons areall societal. If you were to wear your ring on your right hand in a culture where wedding rings are traditionally worn on the left hand,people could assume that you arent married.
This could be problematicbecause:
- You might get hit on by others who have no idea thatyoure married
- It might seem that youre being unfaithful to yourspouse by concealing your wedding ring on the wrong finger
- You could be mistaken for being divorced, as somepeople wear a ring on their right hand to signify a divorce
As you can see, all theseproblems are related to society and how society perceives you. If this isntsomething that bothers you, its likely you wont care what people say orthink.
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, itall comes down to personal choice and beliefs. If you arent guided bytradition or religion, you can pick any finger you wish to be your wedding ringfinger.
It might be confusing forsome and may get raised eyebrows, but as theres no law stating that yourwedding ring needs to go on your left hand, youre free to get as creative asyou like.
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