This Is Why We Wear Wedding Rings on the Fourth Finger
Updated: Sep. 28, 2018Ancient cultures had a sweet reasoning behind it.
Why We Wear Wedding Bands on the Ring Finger
See someone wearing a ring on their right index finger and you can bet they’re not married. A ring on the left ring finger, though, means that person is taken. Seems arbitrary, but there’s actually historical reason it became known as the “ring finger,” and why most people wear their wedding band on the left. (Here are 10 breathtaking wedding destinations to pin to your Pinterest board.)
The wedding ring tradition dates back to ancient Egypt, as archaeologists have found evidence in hieroglyphics that brides would wear a ring, according to the BBC. The Egyptians who first started wearing wedding bands as a symbol of eternity believed there was a “delicate nerve” that ran from the fourth finger all the way to the heart, according to Mental Floss. Of course, we know now that the heart is an organ for pumping blood, but back then it was thought to be the centre of our emotions. (While some etiquette rules have gone out the window, there are still some you must follow at every wedding.)
Egyptians weren’t the only ones giving rings away, though. Ancient Greeks and ancient Romans also slipped wedding rings on their left ring fingers for a similar reason. They believed a vena amoris—Latin for “vein of love”—ran from that finger to the heart, according to Snopes. (Find out the history behind these five common superstitions.)
Even though that vein and nerve don’t exist, Western countries have continued that ancient tradition. In other cultures, such as in Denmark, Poland, and Cuba, though, wedding rings go on the right hand. (Check out these other cool wedding traditions from around the world.)
Traditionally, women were the only ones to wear wedding rings. Men didn’t join in until World War II, when husbands wanted something to remind them of their wives and kids. (An etiquette expert explains how to recover from six cringe-worthy wedding guest fails.)
Learn the terrifying reason we have bridesmaids and groomsmen at weddings.
