wedding rings... which finger?

wedding rings... which finger?

Traditions have it that wedding bands should be worn in the left ring finger of the couple.  It is believed that a vein on our ring finger is directly connected to the most important part of our body... the heart. Wedding bands serves as a symbol of the undying love of the couple to each other. This is to constantly remind us of our vows and the person to whom we have promised to commit ourselves. But why is there a question regarding the proper wearing of wedding bands?

In some countries, the wedding ring is worn on the left hand. This choice of finger relates to traditions purportedly dating to classical times, from an early usage reportedly referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love?. At least in part due to this tradition, it became the norm to wear the wedding ring on this finger. By wearing rings on the fourth finger of their left hands, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. This has now become a matter of tradition and etiquette in these countries. An alternative explanation could be that because the majority of people are right-handed, wearing the ring on the left hand makes it less likely to be damaged or lost during everyday activities.[1]

In other countries such as Colombia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, Spain (except in catalonia), Ukraine, Venezuela and Serbia, however, it is worn on the right hand. Orthodox Christians and Eastern Europeans (except for the Romanians) also traditionally wear the wedding band on the right hand. Jewish women wear the wedding ring on the left hand, even though it is placed on the right hand during the marriage ceremony. Men do not traditionally wear rings at all although in some of the "Modernist" movements it has begun to gain currency. In The Netherlands, Catholics wear it on the left, Protestants on the right; in Austria, Catholics wear it on the right. In Belgium, the choice of hand depends on the region of the country. Greek people, many being Orthodox Christians, also wear the wedding rings on the right hand in keeping with Greek tradition. A traditional reason to wear the wedding ring on the right hand stems from Roman custom. The Latin word for left is"sinister", which in addition to this sense also has the same senses as the English word. The Latin word for right is "dexter", a word that evolved into "dexterity". Hence, the left hand had a negative connotation and the right a good one. For the same reason, an oath is sworn while raising the right hand.[2]

There, we already knew the reason why proper wearing of wedding bands raises an issue among us. This is because there are different number of customs that a soon to wed couple should take into consideration. Depending on their religion, the country where they are living and the beliefs of their family. There is nothing wrong in following old traditions and beliefs, what's important is that we respect the significance of our wedding bands which will be worn forever by the newlyweds.   

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wedding_ring

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wedding_ring