Which Finger Does a Wedding Ring Go on For Men and Women?
Confused about which finger does a wedding ring go on? In most of the western world and Europe, it’s tradition to wear your wedding ring on the fourth finger of your left hand.
However, there are several countries where wedding rings are worn on the right hand instead. So which finger does a wedding ring go on? The overkill of tradition when it comes to wedding ceremonies has made this a difficult question, but here’s where you can finally get some simple answers.
What’s A Ring Finger?
The ring finger is the finger on which the wedding ring goes on. As mentioned earlier, some cultures, typically in the West, wear them on the fourth finger of their left hand. However, in countries like India, Russia, Poland, and Norway, it’s tradition to wear them on the right.
You don’t have to necessarily follow the traditions of your region when it comes to picking a ring finger. It would just be much easier to work it out with your partner. After all, weddings are a celebration of unions, not traditions. In some countries, rings aren’t even a part of the marriage tradition.
Origin Of the Wedding Ring Finger
The first culture to wear rings were the Egyptians. Egyptian Pharaohs would wear them to represent the eternity of their life because a ring is round, with no beginning or end.
This concept of eternity became closely associated with rings, and they were eventually worn by aristocrats of Greece, Rome, and India. Over time, rings became a part of wedding ceremonies to celebrate eternal or lifelong love.
When Alexander the Great invaded Egypt, he adopted this new tradition of giving rings to lovers as a symbol of lifelong devotion and brought it to Greece and Rome. The very first wedding rings were made from iron and copper with small engravings.
The Meaning of Putting a Wedding Ring on The Fourth Finger
There is a long history behind this tradition of wearing wedding rings on the left hand’s fourth finger. It can be traced all the way back to the ancient Egyptian civilization. They believed that the ring finger, or the fourth finger of the left hand, has a vein that leads directly to the heart. And the heart is a human organ that has universally symbolized love.
Anatomically speaking, they were wrong. There is no vein that goes from the heart to the ring finger. However, the tradition of wearing it there still lingers today.
FAQ
Which Hand Does a Wedding Ring Go On?
In the West, the wedding ring goes on the fourth finger of the left hand. However, in other cultures, it may go on different fingers or on the other hand. You can feel free to work out which finger you and your partner find most comfortable wearing your rings on.
How Do I Measure the Size of My Ring Finger?
Measuring your ring size is easy. Tie a string around your ring finger but not too tightly. Cut the loose ends of the string and measure the diameter of the loop you’re left with. Alternatively, you could also cut the loop, measure the length and use the formula for calculating the circumference to get the diameter.
