On which finger is the wedding ring worn? Why is the ring worn on the ring finger? Catholics and Protestants

A wedding celebration is one of the most memorable occasions in life. modern people. It is always associated with tender bride, Mendelssohn's march, flowers and the cherished “Yes!”, said to your soulmate among friends and relatives.

On this important day, an incredible sea of various emotions mixes and a new unit of society is created, sealing their union with love and the symbol of its infinity in relation to each other - wedding rings. But have you ever wondered why wedding ring put it on ring finger? Why were the remaining nine fingers so “offended” and by what criteria does the choice fall on the right or left hand?

Engagement and wedding ring

is a piece of jewelry that a young man gives to his future bride at the moment he proposes to her. In other words, this symbol of the future family life , which is awarded during the engagement. And it means that a particular girl has already accepted someone’s marriage proposal and will soon become a wife, and is now officially a bride.

Wedding rings are called those that the bride and groom wear to each other during wedding ceremony. They are considered a symbol of love, respect and loyalty.

The main wedding jewelry is associated with the gift of the newlyweds to each other, so they are usually made from precious materials (gold, platinum). But today there are many extraordinary options. For example, with wooden inserts or completely wooden decorations.

There is also a belief according to which the wedding rings of spouses should be smooth. Then they will be lucky in life, and it will go smoothly. But wedding fashion does not believe in omens, thanks to this, on the jewelry market you can find a lot of options for jewelry for the young, inlaid with precious and semiprecious stones, inserts with enamel coating and other non-standard solutions.

From the history of wearing wedding rings

Archaeologists who conducted excavations and historians who studied a lot of materials unanimously came to the conclusion that the prototypes of wedding rings appeared in Ancient Egypt, and they were worn on the ring finger, through which, according to people of that time, the artery of love passed.

In the Middle Ages, this issue was treated differently: almost any European ruler could issue his own decree, in which he prescribed which finger should be worn. wedding ring. It is worth noting that any finger of the right or left hand could be chosen for this purpose.

In late seventeenth-century England, the wedding ring was worn on thumb, while the knights of the German lands preferred the little finger.

Which hand is the wedding ring on now?

Choosing a Wearing Hand so dear to my heart wedding decoration often depends on religion, traditions of a particular country and the desires of the person himself. And some people do not wear wedding rings on principle, but are legally married. This may simply be due to a reluctance to see any jewelry on oneself and a dislike for it, or it may be due to the inconvenience caused by wearing it. For example, wearing a wedding ring can increase the risk of injury when working with equipment in a factory.

Ring finger of the right hand

Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Belarusians for the most part belong to Orthodox religion. Therefore, married couples wear a symbol of love and fidelity on the ring finger right hand . This is due to several reasons:

in Russia, according to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, the right hand, which helps a person to be baptized, eat, is associated with honesty, and the left side, in turn, with deception;
It is believed that a person always has an angel protecting him and his union behind his right shoulder, and a devil behind his left.

In Russia, loss of wedding decoration Orthodox person counts bad omen, but removing it is highly not recommended.

Ring finger of the left hand

In some countries of Western culture, where it is common Catholicism, – USA, France, Sweden – it is customary to wear wedding rings on the ring finger of the left hand.

This tradition among Catholics dates back to ancient times. It was believed that the so-called “vein of love” passes through this finger, and left hand close to the heart. Thus, the bride and groom symbolically declare eternal, sincere and pure feelings towards each other.

Engagement ring during divorce

Unfortunately, not all marriages last a lifetime; some of them still end in divorce. In this case, the desire to wear this jewelry depends solely on the preferences and feelings of the person. In other words, many people take off their wedding rings, not wanting to have an unnecessary reminder of the past.

If you still want to keep the wedding ring and wear it, but not as a sign of marriage, then put it on as follows:

Orthodox - on the left hand;
Catholics - on the right hand.

The tradition of proposing to a girl and giving her a tender precious jewelry came to us from the West and took root very well. Therefore, this ring can be called predecessor of the engagement, ideally it is better to wear it on the same finger on which the symbol of family love and faith will settle. After the wedding ceremony, the engagement ring can be kept as a family heirloom or worn over the wedding ring.

Family life is full of surprises, and life's unexpected twists and turns sometimes surpass the scripts of the most fantastic films. Therefore, it is always necessary to remember that the main thing in the family life of two people is not the wedding Jewelry. They - nice addition, an eternal symbol. But most important is the fragile love that brings people together for many years. It is she who needs to be protected like the apple of her eye.

Symbol eternal love and fidelity that has no end - a wedding ring. Many people know that it is worn on the ring finger, but not everyone knows on which hand the wedding ring is worn. In Russia and in other countries, wedding rings are worn differently. Let's talk today about which hand the wedding ring is placed on, and why this happened.

Wedding ring: how to wear it correctly

We briefly mentioned above which hand the wedding ring is worn on. It depends on the country in which the marriage takes place, or more precisely, on the traditions accepted in it. So, in Russia they put a wedding ring on the right hand (ring finger). By the way, in Germany, Poland, Greece and some other countries, the wedding ring is also worn on the right hand.

But residents of France, America, Mexico, Sweden, etc. wear a wedding ring on their left hand, on the same ring finger.

What explains this hand choice? Christianity is widespread in our country, while Catholicism predominates in the West.

For Orthodox Christians, the right hand is conventionally somewhat more important; it is used to take a vow of allegiance, make the sign of the cross, and, for the most part, do many things.

Countries where the wedding ring is worn on the left hand consider this hand to be more important (particularly in relation to the symbol of marriage), since the left hand is closer to the heart. Relatively speaking, we give our heart to our spouse.

In Russia, girls wear engagement rings (those that are given to a girl before marriage when proposing) on the same right hand, on the ring finger. An engagement ring is the only ring that can be worn with a wedding ring (after the wedding).

After divorce, the rings are usually removed.

If one of the spouses dies, the widower (widow) puts a wedding ring on the opposite hand as a sign of memory and preservation of love. Of course, the ring can be removed, that’s everyone’s business.

A wedding ring is an indispensable symbol of love and fidelity between two hearts. Place it on the ring finger of the right or left hand.

Christians who have joined themselves in marriage wear a ring on the ring finger of their right hand. Rings are worn on the same hand in countries such as Spain, countries former USSR, India, Austria, Germany and others. According to ancient laws, lovers exchange rings as a sign of fidelity to each other. Where did the tradition of wedding rings come from? Some claim that in Greece, others insist that this story dates back to Ancient Egypt.

Why is a wedding ring worn on the ring finger?

The philosopher Plutarch described why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger: “The Greeks wore it on the ring finger, on the left hand, because only from it departs the thin nerve that reaches the heart.” Only at first the wedding rings were woven from reed; later the guy gave his father-in-law and mother-in-law a metal ring, which meant his ability to support his family. By the eighteenth century, not only women, but also men began to wear wedding rings.

Modern wedding rings

IN modern world the shape of the ring, which has no end or beginning, symbolizes endless love, and the metal (gold) symbolizes purity and purity. But if earlier the ring was simply smooth, now most young people choose designer ones. Today, the concept of “engagement” and the concept of “wedding” rings have become synonymous. The future husband and wife exchange them on their wedding day.

What does a wedding ring mean?

But why did people come up with the idea to cement marriage bonds by putting on a ring? As a “sign” that this man or this woman is “busy”? Maybe you are right. But why do people wear rings at all? The ring is made of metal, and “like gives birth to like,” therefore the marriage should be just as strong.

Which hand is the wedding ring worn on?

Why do Orthodox citizens wear a wedding ring on their right hand? Right side is associated with truthfulness, reliability, honesty and fidelity; it is also important that it is customary for us to cross ourselves with the right hand. A wedding ring on the left hand (in Russia) is worn by those who have buried their spouse, or after the destruction of a marriage and divorce.

Why is the symbol of marriage worn on the ring finger? For example, it is protected by other fingers and therefore does not interfere with work. Or each finger symbolizes relatives: the thumbs are your parents, the index fingers are your brothers and sisters, the middle fingers are you, the ring fingers are your close person. This means that it should be worn on the ring finger, which symbolizes the other half.

A wedding ring symbolizes marriage. This is a kind of indicator of a person’s marital status. By this decoration you can always determine whether a girl is married or not. It’s enough just to look at the finger where the wedding ring is worn. But, of course, not all nations have a common tradition of distinguishing marriage in one specific way.

On which finger do they wear a wedding ring in Russia?

Such decorations look very beautiful and original. You just need to remember that it is better to choose rings with a channel setting so that the stone is attached in the recess and not on the surface. These rings are ideal as wedding jewelry. They are smooth in appearance and the likelihood of stone falling out is very low.

When choosing stones, the bride and groom are usually guided by their tastes, but more often they give preference white color– cubic zirconias or real diamonds. This is not surprising, because wedding rings are worn all the time, and they should go well with other jewelry or clothing.

Engagement rings with other precious stones are much less commonly purchased. This is not entirely practical, and it is not always easy to combine them with clothes or accessories. But this is not the only reason. Some stones may change color over time. For example, blue sapphire sometimes darkens. And green emeralds, which are not cheap at all, are very fragile.

Engagement rings with stones are very common in the West. Most often this is a thin ring with one precious stone, in fact, classic version. Romantics prefer to buy jewelry with a heart-shaped stone. Rings with a large central stone surrounded by small crystals look very impressive.

On which finger do women wear a wedding ring if they were previously engaged? On the same one - unnamed. This type of jewelry is worn over the wedding band if it is appearance allows. Otherwise, the bride herself decides whether to put it on her other hand or even put it in the box. After all, she changed her status, became married woman and now another ring symbolizes marriage.

The tradition of wearing wedding rings exists among almost all nations. But many also have their own characteristics in the way they are worn. The portal www.site will trace the variety of such rituals, and also figure out where wedding rings came from.

History of wedding rings

According to archaeological finds, the first rings appeared in Ancient Egypt. They were used by the pharaohs as a personal seal and confirmation of their own will. The origin of the betrothal ceremony also dates back to this time. The groom brought a metal ring to the bride's parents as a symbol of his responsibility to them. Subsequently, such rings became bronze and then silver. Since then, the ritual has taken hold and has successfully survived to this day.

What makes an engagement ring different from others?

Today there are three types of wedding rings - engagement ring, engagement ring and wedding ring. The engagement ring is given to the bride by the groom at the time of the marriage proposal. This decoration is intended only for women and is made of gold or silver.

The wedding ring is a pair, intended for both the groom and the bride. It is the wedding rings that the couple exchanges at the registry office. They are made of expensive metals, possibly with inserts of precious stones.

Wedding rings are intended for those couples who decided to consolidate family ties in the bosom of the church and undergo a wedding ceremony. They exist only in the Orthodox tradition.

On which finger do women wear their wedding ring?

On the ring finger of the left hand

There is a legend that since the time Ancient Egypt The rings were worn by women on the ring fingers of the left hand, because the heart and this particular finger are connected by a thin nerve.

Over time, the question of which finger a wedding ring is worn on has been resolved in different ways. For example, in the Middle Ages it was not uncommon for many kings to issue decrees regulating the rules for wearing rings. And here it was until ten various options, including the thumbs.

After the strengthening of the positions of Catholicism and Protestantism in Europe, clear rules for wearing a wedding ring were established. So, the place was again assigned to the ring finger of the left hand. This was explained by the same reason as in ancient times - closeness to the heart. Today this tradition is honored by England, Germany, France, Canada, the USA, Brazil, etc. Muslims adhere to the same custom.

On the ring finger of the right hand

In this case, the rules are again dictated by religion. For example, the ring finger of the right hand, where a wedding ring is worn in Russia, is an Orthodox tradition. According to the canons, everything connected with the right side of the body is considered correct. In other cases, in the conditions of multi-religious Russia, spouses put wedding rings on the finger on which they themselves see fit, or in accordance with other beliefs.

Additionally, women often wear their wedding and engagement rings on the same finger. In this case, you need to think in advance about how to choose an engagement ring so that it matches the engagement ring in style and design.

Other cases

There are peoples who have alternative ways of wearing rings:

according to Jewish tradition - on the index finger;
according to gypsy customs - on a chain around the neck;
Among the peoples of the North Caucasus, according to tradition, rings are not worn at all after the wedding.

Sometimes there are cases when the bride or groom wears a wedding ring on the middle finger of their right hand. Such behavior can sometimes be interpreted by others as defiant and contrary to social laws of morality and rules of behavior. However, there is a very specific explanation for this. The reason may be that the ring size is not suitable for the ring finger. Therefore, if its wearer or wearer does not want to go to a jewelry workshop for an adjustment or purchase another, for example, a wider ring for the bride, then it is moved to the middle finger of the right hand.

On which finger do men wear their wedding ring?

There are no separate rules for men. Everything is determined by the following factors:

nationality,
religion,
personal preferences.

On which finger do widows and widowers wear their wedding ring?

A wedding ring is a symbol of endless marital fidelity. Therefore, even after the death of a spouse, their significant other does not stop wearing a wedding ring as a sign of devotion, especially if it is a personalized engraved wedding ring.

If widowers continue to do this, as they did during the life of their beloved, then there are several models of behavior for widows:

The woman removes her ring from the ring finger of her right hand and wears the ring of her departed husband in this place.
The woman removes her ring from the ring finger of her right hand and wears it on the ring finger of her left hand.
A woman wears two wedding rings on the ring finger of her left hand.

All these cases are purely voluntary and are not mandatory or traditional. Only the widow herself can decide what to do with her loved one’s belongings.

Modern traditions of wearing wedding rings

Nowadays, many married couples stop wearing wedding rings after marriage. This is due to work circumstances, safety reasons or simply a desire for comfort. In this case, there is nothing terrible or controversial, the main thing is that both family members do not experience negative emotions about this.

Young couples are looking for new ways of expression and departure from traditions, but, at the same time, preserving family principles. Therefore, more and more people are turning to non-standard ways of handling wedding rings. For example, wearing them in an unusual way - on the neck. For adherents of orthodox practices, a reasonable question arises: won’t a wedding ring on the neck look like an ordinary piece of jewelry and is it even possible to wear it like that? Here, again, everything depends on the type of ring (naturally, a ring with a diamond will look at least strange on the neck), the worldview of the spouses, and family traditions.

Now you know almost everything about how to wear a wedding ring correctly in any life situations and why representatives different nationalities Wedding rings are placed on the ring finger. The wedding portal Svadebka.ws notes that our time allows spouses to move away from traditions and choose for themselves which finger the wedding ring should be on, how to wear it and whether to wear it at all.