Relationship

Why wedding ring is worn on the 4th finger of left hand

 

If someone asked you at age six, “What finger does the wedding ring go on?” you probably knew the answer. It’s pretty common for most people, to sport their wedding ring on the left ring finger. But why is the wedding ring worn on the left hand in the first place?
The Wedding Ring: The story of why the wedding ring is worn on the left hand can be traced back to ancient times. In that era, the Romans believed that the vein in the ring finger (the fourth finger) on the left hand ran directly to one’s heart. Because of this belief, they called that vein the “vena amoris” or vein of love. Naturally, to solidify a union based on love, they’d place the ring on that finger that housed the vein of love to signify the romance the newly married couple shares.
And while contemporary Greek couples living in Western cultures often slip rings on the left, Greek brides and grooms have historically worn right-handed wedding rings. Orthodox Christians too customarily wore bands on the right.
In India, the left hand was once considered both unclean and lucky, so wedding rings were worn on the right. But nowadays, either hand can be a home for wedding baubles.
Engagement Ring: Since Western cultures have accepted the above-mentioned age-old wives tale to be true, the newly-engaged have also taken to wearing the engagement ring on that left ring finger. Interestingly, many of the people in Europe who choose to wear their wedding rings on the right hand’s ring finger, still wear their engagement ring on the left and then transfer it over.
Fiancé and fiancée in Colombia and Brazil often wear bands as engagement rings on their right hands, and after completing their vows, move rings to the left hand. In Germany and the Netherlands, they may do the opposite — positioning engagement rings on the left hand and then wedding rings on the right.
Promise Ring: The practice of promise rings could also arguably be traced back to ancient Roman times, when “betrothal rings” were made out of inexpensive iron. Next up in history, came the “posie rings” of England during the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. These round tokens sometimes had short love-poem inscriptions on their insides or outsides.

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