Wedding traditions and customs: which finger is worn on an engagement ring

Rings for a wedding are symbols of the marriage union. Loving people give them to each other and are worn as a sign of sincerity of intent and devotion. According to historians, this tradition appeared among the ancient Greeks. According to another version - in ancient Egypt. In those days, the decoration on the finger had a symbolic character and was not valuable. Such decorations were made of hemp or reeds. In the Middle Ages the European rulers and even the counts and dukes issued decrees about the finger on which the ring is worn.

In each country this tradition was different. For example, in England at the end of the seventeenth century, it was customary to wear a ring on your thumb, and in Germany knights put it on the little finger. At the same time, ordinary people did not adhere to strict rules as to which finger the wedding ring is worn on. Over time, the material for making rings has changed. They were decorated with carvings, encrusted with precious stones, combined different kinds of metals.

So, which finger is worn on the wedding ring at the moment? Now the tradition of exchanging rings has not lost its original meaning. The form of decoration, which has no end, no beginning, personifies infinite love. Valuable metals, which are used to make jewelry, are considered a symbol of purity and nobility of intent. Appearance and design of jewelry is striking in variety. If previously traditional wedding rings were considered to be ordinary smooth rings, now they are increasingly choosing sophisticated in design and design decorations.

A fashion trend is considered to be the incrustation of other types of metal or a combination of several of their types (for example, yellow and pink gold), as well as a "chaotic" scattering of precious stones. Although the gold ring with pearls traditionally symbolizes the purity and purity of the girl.

At present, there are differences in the finger on which the wedding ring is worn. So, for example, the Orthodox put it on the ring finger on the right hand, because this hand is considered "correct", more important. This tradition is shared in Central and Eastern Europe (former USSR countries), as well as in Germany, Spain, Norway, Austria, Greece, Georgia, India, Chile, Venezuela. In Armenia, Turkey, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Croatia, Slovenia, USA, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Korea, Japan, Syria, in Cuba, the ring is worn on an unnamed finger, but on the left hand. In these countries adhere to the following proposition: which finger is worn on the wedding ring, that is closer to the heart. However, not everyone shares this opinion. According to Jewish custom, the bride wears the symbol of faithful love on the forefinger. By the way, in Ancient Russia did the same. Gypsies, according to their customs, wear a ring on a chain and wear it around their necks. It is known that widowers wear jewelry on the finger of the other hand. In other words, if we have a married woman wearing a ring on her right, then widows and widowers are on her left arm. The situation is more complicated when a person is divorced. Many do not wear a "reminder" of marriage (in the direct sense of the word), and some wear a ring after a divorce on their left arm. There are no clear rules.