With this Ring I Thee Wed (II)

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People wear their engagement and wedding rings in a determined finger of a determined hand. Why and where should we wear the engagement and wedding ring? The choice relates to traditions that date classical times, referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love". However, you might have noticed that in many cultures the ring is also worn on the right hand. This comes from Roman tradition where the Latin word for left is “sinistra” meaning sinister and the Latin word for right is “dexter” meaning dexterity.


Who wears the wedding ring on their left hand?
- Western cultures (with some exceptions)
- Catholic people in The Netherlands
- Non Catholic people in Austria

Who wears the wedding ring on their right hand?
- German, Chile and Spanish people (except Catalans)
- Non Catholic people in The Netherlands
- Catholic people in Austria
- Eastern Europeans and Jews (traditionally)
- Many Greek people that keep with Orthodox tradition

In some European countries the wedding ring is the same as the engagement ring and changes its status by changing it of hand. For instance, as I am Catalan, I am wearing my engagement ring on my right hand but will wear it on my left hand when I get married.

Sometimes, the wedding ring is not the engagement ring and we have to ask ourselves whether to wear or not the engagement ring during the wedding ceremony. Normally, the bride may wear it on her left ring finger and have the groom put the wedding ring over it.

One interpretation says that the woman wears the wedding ring above the engagement ring to seal the engagement into a marriage. Another practice states that women should wear the wedding ring below the engagement ring since it will be closer to the heart. Still, others believe that the wedding ring should be worn alone.

Today, many occupations or professions forbid or discourage the use of jewelry (actors, doctors, electrical workers…). Also, many people remove wedding rings for comfort or safety, or just because they dislike to declare their legal status through jewelry.

Did you know?

- In the 3rd Century in Greece the ring finger was the index finger, and in India it was the thumb
- In Medieval Europe, the Christian wedding ceremony placed the ring in sequence on the index, middle and ring fingers on the left hand representing the Trinity —God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
- The use of wedding rings for both partners is a quite recent innovation. The first etiquette book to mention it was written in 1937.
- In US today it is becoming more common, but still quite rare that a woman will also buy an engagement ring for her partner at the time of the engagement.
- In Spain, either the parents of the bride or the bride will buy an engagement present to the groom, normally being this present a watch