On which hand is the wedding ring worn? On which finger is it customary to wear wedding rings? What are the customs of Muslims?

The wedding ring is the most important attribute marriage since ancient times. It is not necessary to arrange magnificent wedding, buy an expensive dress and a veil, but at the moment when the lovers exchange rings, they commit the most sacred ritual. Why and where did such a tradition come from and on what hand is it worn? wedding ring?

In ancient times, this item was considered a talisman; initially it was made from hemp fibers and reeds, and a little later they began to make it from metal as a guarantee of the inviolability of family ties. Wedding rings are a symbol of purity and chastity also because they are traditionally made from noble metal: gold. On which hand do spouses wear a wedding ring in Russia and does it depend on religion?

Time does not stand still, the world around us and the objects around us change. The changes also affected wedding rings. These are no longer simple gold stripes. Design modern symbols marriage is improving, becoming more diverse and interesting. Today they can tell a lot about their owner and his social status. But lovers are still concerned about the question: on which hand they put the wedding ring.

In ancient times, the decision on how to wear this jewelry was made by the ruler. In some countries they used to ring the thumb. As a result, each country has formed its own tradition.

Orthodox

Where the population professes Christianity, they decorate with a wedding ring ring finger. According to church canons, this item should be worn on right hand, and regardless of gender. The right hand in Orthodoxy has at all times been associated with sincerity and honesty; it is with this hand that we eat food, sign important papers, and greet each other when we meet. Christians also cross from right to left. That's how they wear it significant rings in Russia and Belarus, Greece and Ukraine.

Muslims

There is no tradition in Islam of exchanging rings during marriage. This ritual was adopted from Europeans. Religion does not allow men to wear gold at all; they are allowed to wear silver and copper jewelry, including those made of base metals and alloys. And women put a wedding ring on the ring finger of their right hand, just like the Orthodox.

Newlyweds can exchange rings, but only as wedding gift. Couples who strictly adhere to Sharia law choose silver products ad hoc. Muslims wear a wedding ring mainly as decoration.

Catholics

It is also customary for Catholics to point out their family status visual attribute. They suggest that this is a legacy of the ancient Egyptians, who discovered the vein of love running from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart. And wearing a wedding ring on this finger forever connected the hearts of a couple in love through this vein. A real myth has not found scientific confirmation, but people continue to believe in it.

The right hand of Catholicism, like that of the Orthodox, is the right hand, only Catholics apply the cross from left to right. And this also partly explains wearing the ring on the left hand.

Where to wear a wedding ring

In European countries, the attribute of marriage is worn on the left hand, although women in these countries prefer to wear it on forefinger, and not on the nameless one. In addition, not all Catholics prefer the left hand. Spaniards, Norwegians and Austrians wear this item on the right.

In Russia, according to established Russian traditions, the ring finger of the right hand is ringed.

On which hand do you wear an engagement ring?

In our country there is no special rules. It can be worn on any hand. Girls wear this accessory before the wedding on the same finger as the engagement finger, until the latter replaces it. It is customary not to remove the ring from engagement until marriage and take care of it.

In the West after wedding ceremony it becomes a family heirloom, carefully stored and passed on from parents to children.

Married women

On which hand do women wear their wedding ring? It depends on the traditions of the country where the lovers live and on their religion.

A gold ring worn on the ring finger of the left hand does not necessarily indicate marriage. For Orthodox Christians this means widowhood. IN modern Russia A divorced woman can be identified by the ring on her left hand. Some wear it as a pendant on a chain.

On which hand do married people wear a ring? Most often this is the ring finger. And this is not only because he is the personification of love, but also from a practical point of view it is completely justified. It is less involved in work than other fingers and decoration on it will not interfere with the owner.

Married men

Sometimes it can be difficult to get a man to wear Jewelry. The wedding ring is more likely to be an exception, but they allow themselves to take it off at least occasionally. Rather, this happens due to inconvenience, and not from a desire to hide the status of a married person.

The little finger was used by ardent opponents of marriage to wear a ring. Those who considered themselves unprepared for serious relationship chose middle finger. The lovers wore a ring on their ring finger until it was replaced by a wedding ring. Only from local traditions It depends on which hand men will put the ring on.

Divorced

Sometimes it happens that for one reason or another, spouses separate. Should I continue to wear my wedding ring after a divorce? After all, the symbol of fidelity has lost its value. In the case when you decide to cross out the past and start living again, it’s not worth it. And if you don’t want to part with the memories of the times you lived together happy days- wear it. Most often, divorced people wear rings on the opposite hand.

Widows and widowers

The loss of a loved one, regardless of age, is always irreparable loss. It's not easy to survive this. The role of the wedding ring in this tragic situation is twofold. On the one hand, it helps to cope with loss, and on the other, it is a source of memories, invariably causing pain. Widowed spouses place the ring on the opposite hand.

On which finger do widows' rings wear? Women who do not want to part with memories associated with a loved one wear both rings on the opposite hand at the same time: their own and their spouse’s. If the spouse's ring is too large in size, it is worn on a chain or on thumb.

From time immemorial, wedding rings have been a true symbol of love and unconditional fidelity. They are often credited magical abilities and many traditions are associated with them. The ceremonial exchange of rings during a wedding ceremony takes place in thousands of countries and nationalities, but a natural question arises on which finger a woman and a man wear a wedding ring.

There are several versions of what a wedding ring means, this is primarily determined by the culture of a particular people . In ancient times, the young groom brought expensive decoration to his beloved, thereby making it clear to her family that he could fully provide for her.

Another version says that when exchanging rings, the spouses swore sincere and immortal love. The ring was a symbol of infinity.

Also, according to one version, the rings were considered to represent the links of the chain that forever connected the union of husband and wife.

Rules for wearing marital jewelry

Historians and archaeologists have found the first wedding decorations during the next excavations in Egypt. The nobility wore rich accessories made of precious and very expensive metals, A simple people iron rings were used.

The ancient sages insisted that the wedding ring should be worn exclusively on left hand. This is because there is a nerve in the ring finger that leads directly to the heart. Therefore, since ancient times, this particular finger has been ringed.

Previously, there were even countries in which the ring was worn on the thumb. Of course, everything depends on the people and their culture. The hand on which the jewelry is worn is also strictly determined by religion person.

Banding of Orthodox Christians

Orthodox Christians are confident that everything that relates to right side bodies. In Christian countries it is customary to wear wedding rings exclusively on the ring finger right hand. This is about:

  • Ukraine,
  • Belarus,
  • Greece,
  • Russia.

In this case, widows and widowers must change the ring to their left hand.

Rules for wearing a ring among Muslims

According to Muslim traditions, marital jewelry should be worn on the left hand. But this applies exclusively to women. U eastern men It is not customary to wear gold jewelry. Moreover, they consider this to be a manifestation bad taste. A Muslim man either does not wear a ring at all or wears silver jewelry.

The original traditions of the Catholic faith

Protestants and Catholics wear wedding bands on their left hands. They explain this by her close location to her heart. They firmly believe that the energy of love will help married couple live many years in peace, harmony and sincere love.

How and where else to wear a ring

Residents of many countries and cities wear marital precious decoration on the ring finger of the left hand. In other countries everything is different. For example, European women like to put a ring on their index finger, while gypsies hang it on a chain.

The question may arise as to which hand the ring is worn on. married women and the men are Armenians, because they do not belong only to the Christian faith or exclusively to Catholics. It is customary among these people to wear important accessory for the spouse on the left hand, because the energy of love supposedly flows through it, which can save the family in difficult moments.

Oddly enough, not all married Catholics wear a ring on the left. For example, married Spaniards and Norwegians, as well as Jews, wear it on their right hand.

In Russia, traditions dictate that you wear a ring on your right hand. This is supported by Georgians, Greeks, Poles and other peoples. By the way, an engagement ring in Russia is worn on any hand. Some representatives of the fair sex wear it on the left, and many people prefer to wear it with a wedding ring.

If you are interested in which hand the wedding ring is worn in a particular country, you can read this information on the Internet.

Wearing a ring on special occasions

A ringed ring finger on the hand is not only evidence of marriage. The ring can be worn when a couple divorces, and even when they become widowed. But this is done according to certain rules.

Divorce of a married couple

It happens that a couple comes to the decision to divorce. How to wear a ring correctly in such a situation, and is it worth doing it at all? Typically, spouses simply stop wearing their wedding jewelry.

Where to put your ring after a divorce is everyone’s decision. Many people take it to a pawnshop, and many regret it and keep it. But in any case, you shouldn’t re-gift such an accessory, much less ring it with your next spouse.

Women very often, after a divorce, simply transfer the ring to the opposite hand and it serves them as decoration. But there are many signs according to which this is not recommended. First of all, this accessory will constantly remind a woman of past life and it will prevent you from starting it with a blank sheet of paper.

There is also a definite opinion about wearing someone else’s ring. It is believed that any decoration, like clothing, carries some kind of human energy and conveys troubles. If it didn’t stay on a person’s finger and didn’t bring him happiness, then it’s unlikely to make someone else happy. That is why It is not recommended to give or accept someone else's engagement ring as a gift.

Death of husband or wife

After the death of a spouse, it is customary among all nations to change the marital jewelry to the opposite hand. This is how people show their loyalty to a loved one, even despite his death. Sometimes one of the spouses wears both jewelry, thereby talking about their eternal connection.

Undoubtedly, each person decides for himself whether to continue wearing a wedding ring.

Wedding rings and omens

For many people, wedding rings are a magical symbol of marriage. Of course, there are many beliefs and folk signs, related to them:

Engagement ring for the bride

For a couple in love, after matchmaking comes the most beautiful ritual- engagement. A man asks his beloved's hand in marriage from her parents. In this case, it is customary for the groom to give his chosen one a beautiful ring, which is called an engagement ring.

Some girls wear it on their right hand, others on their left hand. Most often it’s on the right. After marriage, it is either worn on the opposite hand, or together with the wedding band. It’s good when they are combined in material and texture.

IN Western countries The engagement ring is no longer worn after the wedding and is kept as family heirloom, passing on to your children or grandchildren. The Germans put the engagement jewelry on the finger of the left hand and after the wedding ceremony they change it to the right one.

Engagement jewelry should be worn constantly and protected until your wedding day. It represents a symbol of happiness, love and family. There is a belief that its loss will lead to the breakup of the couple.

In fact, after marriage, an engagement ring can be worn on absolutely any finger of any hand, because it is not a wedding ring. On which finger to wear a wedding ring - the question national traditions and faith.

Wedding traditions are worth following, because No wonder they are passed down from generation to generation. After all, in any case, family happiness lies only in the hands of the spouses. Family happiness can only be built on mutual love, loyalty and respect.

A symbol of eternal love and fidelity that has no end is 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? IN to a greater extent 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.

The tradition of exchanging wedding rings, a symbol of inseparability, the infinity of marriage bonds, has deep roots. The historical beginning was laid by the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks brought the ritual to European continent. In our country, this custom appeared with the advent of Christianity. U different nations Religions have their own rules.

Russia is a multinational country, with a large number of different religions. However, 75% of the population consider themselves Orthodox Christians.

IN Orthodox tradition men and women wear a wedding ring on their right hand.

Which finger is a wedding ring placed on in Russia?

A wedding is a very important event in the life of a guy and a girl. And now that long-awaited moment of exchanging wedding rings has come, it’s done! Trembling knees, excitement, you forgot everything in the world: which hand, which finger, and where all those rings went. Read it several times and try to remember: The wedding ring is placed on the ring (next to the little finger) finger of the right hand. Unless, of course, you belong to the Orthodox majority.

  • This is interesting:

Why is a wedding ring worn on the left hand?

Infrequently, but still there are cases when the symbol of marriage is worn on the left hand. There are many options why this happens, let’s look at the main ones.

About one percent of the Russian population are adherents catholic church, approximately 150 thousand people. According to their rules, wedding rings are worn on the ring finger of the left hand.

The second, probably more common case is widowers. As a memory of the lost spouse, many continue to wear the symbol of marriage, putting it on the other hand. For some reason, this is done more often by women, men and Everyday life They often refuse to wear it.

An important part of the whole pre-wedding fuss is the choice of jewelry. Here are the main criteria to pay attention to.

  • Shape (classic or unusual)
  • Presence of stones
  • Weight, cost
  • Material and workmanship
  • Size

IN Lately It is not uncommon to see two rings on the ring finger. One of them is an engagement ring; many continue to wear it along with their wedding band, as symbols of the most unforgettable moments. married life.

  • It is important:

A wedding is a significant event for both men and women. It should be fun, easy, and relaxed so that it remains in memory forever. After all, this is the first, very small step of a long life together, Bon Voyage. Don’t stress, even if you mix up your hand or finger – this is just another reason for general fun, an opportunity to remember this funny moment in the future. Laugh at your mistakes, enjoy every second of this wonderful, unique day of your life.

Wedding and engagement rings are among the most significant characters V human life. Both the first and second symbolize the fact that lovers are beginning a completely new stage in their love relationship. On which finger are wedding rings worn and on which engagement ring? Traditionally, the engagement ring is placed on the ring finger of the right hand when the groom proposes to the bride, and then this ring is replaced with an engagement ring at the wedding itself.

Where does the tradition of exchanging wedding rings come from and what does it symbolize? If you don’t know the answer to the question posed, be sure to read this article.

But before we answer the question: “On which finger do they put a wedding ring?”, let’s get acquainted with a little history wedding tradition putting a wedding ring on each other's hand.

How did the engagement ring come about?

The original versions of wedding rings appeared approximately four thousand eight hundred years ago in distant North Africa among the inhabitants of ancient Egypt, who occupied the fertile lands of the Nile River.

In that ancient time, improvised rings with bracelets were made from sedge, reeds and shoots growing on the shores of the reservoir.

For the ancient Egyptians, a circle that had no beginning or end was a symbol of eternity. Besides, in Ancient Egypt the Sun and the Moon were revered, very similar in shape to a circle. It was believed that the space in the ring is the personification of the gate to the world of everything known and unknown.

Based on this knowledge and guesses, the idea arose for lovers to exchange rings at a wedding. The ring still served as a symbol of eternity, and the process of exchange was associated with undying love and close connection between lovers.

Natural wear and tear process

The first wedding rings that appeared in Egypt lasted, as a rule, for one year, and then wore out, since the material they were made of was quite fragile.

To increase the service life of jewelry, the Egyptians began to use more reliable types of materials as the basis of rings: leather, bone, ivory.

And when the era of metal began, with the improvement of craft metallurgy, only metal was chosen for the production of rings. Of course, the earliest examples of metal wedding rings had a rather clumsy and uneven appearance, but progress never stops and over time the production of rings improved, and accordingly, the resulting product also improved.

Subsequently, precious and semi-precious stones began to be added to wedding rings, symbolizing rich life. We can learn about all this by studying the frescoes decorating the tombs of the pharaohs.

Roman steel wedding rings

Residents Ancient Rome Of all the metals, steel was given the greatest preference. Steel acted as a symbol of great love in Rome, and if a man gave his lady a steel ring, he thereby wanted to demonstrate to his chosen one the ardent feelings he was experiencing.

The main problem with steel rings was their constant rusting, but even despite this, their wearing life was quite long, plus the rings had an attractive appearance.

At that point in time, the tradition of offering and accepting a ring becomes mandatory and becomes legal. At the same time, from one position, a woman here turned into the “property” of her husband, but from another position, her rights were protected by no one other than legal husband did not have the opportunity to possess her.

Focus is on precious metals

In the 3rd century, wedding rings began to be made from gold and silver. This implies that the groom trusts his bride with all the most valuable things he has.

At that time, the rings were made in the shape of a key; they did not yet have such a usual round shape, like now. Also, the difference with today was that it was customary to present the ring not at the wedding itself, but only when the groom carried his bride across the threshold of their home.

During the Middle Ages, when coins became the currency of exchange, gold came first on the list of metals from which wedding rings were made. Also, often products begin to be inlaid with precious minerals:

  • rubies – the bright red hue of which is associated with the heart;
  • sapphires - blue, like the skies;
  • Diamonds are the most popular stones that symbolize eternal love and lasting relationships.

If it's not gold, it means it will lead to failure.

This phrase was given to the world by Irish folklore. One can say even more - a wedding was classified as illegal if the wedding rings were not gold.

Of course, this was nothing more than just superstition, but despite this, there was a growing trend throughout Europe of lending gold wedding rings to those who were unable to purchase them themselves.

Modernity: wedding rings, on which hand and on which finger are they worn?

At first glance, this question seems very simple. IN Russian Federation, as well as in a number of other countries of the world (Greece, Spain, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia), it is customary to put wedding rings on the ring finger of the right hand if a person enters into an official marriage.

Moreover, in a number of countries in Western Europe, America and some other Catholic countries, the marriage process involves the exchange of rings, which the newlyweds put on each other’s ring finger of the left hand.

Among some African peoples, it is customary to exchange bracelets instead of rings at a wedding.

And among gypsies there is a custom of placing a wedding ring on a chain and hanging it around the neck.

But let's return to domestic customs. In ancient times wedding ring put on the ring finger of the left hand in cases where the spouse was widowed. It was often customary for widows to wear two rings on one finger – theirs and their deceased husband’s.

If the spouses divorced, the wedding rings had to be removed from their hands.

Today there have been some changes. For example, now a wedding ring worn on the left ring finger indicates that the person is divorced and his heart is ready to let in a new feeling.

However, if we consider this with energy point sight, then the attribute of an outdated marriage should be hidden far away, because the empty ring finger already symbolizes social status person.

What does the shape and design of the wedding ring tell you?

Today when jewelry industry is very developed, wedding rings are no longer just a symbol of love and marriage, but are becoming full-fledged precious items.

At the same time, much more attention is paid to their shape and design than was done before. If you carefully examine the metal wedding item, its size and design features - you can draw conclusions regarding financial situation couples, how they perceive marriage in principle, and how they treat each other. And, of course, this is not all the information.

Psychology expert from Australia Tim Wanley studied relationships 1500 married couples and established many interesting patterns regarding the topic of wedding rings. In particular, Tim found that the shape and design of jewelry can reveal a lot about the relationship between spouses and how they perceive their marriage.

I invite you to read his findings:

  • The classic version of smooth rings (the width of which reaches up to five millimeters) is chosen by those people who have confidence in each other. The ring has no special meaning for them as a symbol. The families of such people are strong and durable, but over time, relationships risk becoming routine.
  • Classic options smooth rings, which do not have “sophistications”, but are quite broad and massive, will indicate the presence of doubts about the strength of the relationship, as well as distrust of their partner. By choosing such a heavy and durable wedding attribute for themselves, the husband and wife seem to be trying to use it to cement their marriage and protect themselves from a possible breakup.
  • Partner choosing a decorated engagement ring precious mineral, or having engraving, notches, small precious inlays - with this choice he tries to make his relationship more vivid. Or he generally wants to have more intense feelings and emotions than those present in his couple.

Due to such an unusual and original choice he tries to demonstrate his desire to eliminate boredom and make his love relationship more ardent and passionate. There are often situations when one of the spouses, as wedding attribute stops at a simple classic ring, and the second one chooses an unusual decorated version of the product for himself. In this case, we can talk about instability in the relationship.

  • Surprisingly, you can also meet couples in which the spouses do not at all burden themselves with wearing wedding rings. This also happens for a reason, but for a number of reasons.

Thus, Tim Wenley came to the conclusion that a very small part of people completely neglect the symbol of marriage, as they strive to show their freedom and remain ready to attract new acquaintances into their lives.

In most cases, the tendency not to use a wedding ring indicates that one (or even both spouses) on a subconscious level seek to relieve themselves of the expected obligations. official marriage, they seem to be eliminating “family oppression” from themselves in this way.

That is, roughly speaking, if there is no wedding symbol- this means this is evidence of a kind of protest. Although it is necessary to separately mention the category of people who are purely physically unable to bear any kind of foreign objects and therefore refuse to wear marital jewelry almost immediately after the wedding. In this case, the fact of the absence of a ring has absolutely nothing to do with contact with your soulmate.

Based on Tim Wenley's observations, it becomes clear that wedding rings provide a lot of information regarding the internal relationships in a couple, as well as those deep feelings, emotions and experiences with which it is customary to enter into a marriage.

And based on this, if you are choosing the main wedding attribute for your wedding, it will not be amiss to observe your choice and the choice of your soulmate. It is possible that you will be able to get some new useful information on this matter.

On which finger do you wear an engagement ring?

Having dealt with the question: “On which finger is the wedding ring worn?”, I would like to talk separately about engagement rings. On which hand and on which finger is it customary to wear them?

An engagement indicates that from now on the lovers officially accept the status of bride and groom. This is the first and most important step before marriage. And as proof of your passionate love future husband presents his beloved with an engagement ring. But where should you put it on?

The groom places the ring on the ring finger of the bride's right hand on her engagement day. This ring symbolizes eternal love, the kind that arises in the very depths of the heart: ardent, hot and passionate. The bride is supposed to wear the product until the day when she and the groom officially register their marriage in the registry office.

And on the morning of the wedding ceremony, you should remove the jewelry, since it is believed that on the wedding day there should be no rings on your hands other than the main one. The engagement ring is traditionally hidden in a box and not used, and from time to time it is simply used as decoration on any finger, but only after the wedding has been celebrated.

Finally, I want to give you a couple interesting recommendations regarding the selection and acquisition of the most important wedding attribute:

  1. Modern statistics jewelry production suggests that every year more and more new trends in engagement rings appear. And the peak demand for products in this group begins in summer time days, as well as in the first autumn months.

Therefore, by the specified deadline, manufacturers release new versions of their product range to the market and strive to update existing collections.

From this we can conclude that even if your wedding date falls in the winter, it is better to start purchasing rings in the fall.

  1. Already belonged to marriage union, from which a visible expensive ring has been preserved? Under no circumstances should you use it as an engagement ring if you stand at the altar again. Even if the teaching about the energy of objects is alien to you, just convince yourself that this is very bad omen, which does not bode well.
  2. If you do not have a lot of finances before the wedding, you can purchase silver wedding rings as an alternative. You can find quite affordable, but very attractive and stylish silver products offered by many jewelry manufacturers. They are often made in the vintage style that is very popular today.

And you present more expensive versions of gold wedding rings to each other, for example, by the first year of marriage, and then they will turn into a real symbol of your sincere feelings.

Now you know on which finger women and men wear a wedding ring, as well as some secrets of choosing these most important wedding attributes.

Finally, all that remains is to wish that your living together being with her loved one only made her happy and nothing could overshadow her!

Finish reading of this material watching an interesting thematic video clip:


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