Wedding rings are a unique symbol of passionate love, fidelity, mutual respect, inextricable connection and the desire to spend your whole life together, to be one whole always and everywhere.

The meaning of women’s and men’s wedding rings on the fingers, the customs of wearing them in Ukraine and other countries of the world will be discussed in this article.

Where and how did the tradition of wearing a wedding ring originate?

Even 6,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, during a wedding, the bride and groom exchanged rings made of sugar cane, wood, animal skin, hemp leaves as a sign of a family union. The custom became popular in ancient Rome, Greece and India. Regardless of the material of manufacture, the rings invariably symbolize the same values ​​- love, loyalty and durability.

Initially, only engaged or married women could wear the ring. It served as a gift that a man gave to his bride. For the girl, it was a symbol of the trust and affection that the guy had for her, and for those around her, it was a sign that she was already busy.

In ancient times, engagement rings were considered a powerful amulet that reliably guarded family happiness, protecting a husband and wife from various troubles.

The round shape of the ring was also not chosen by chance. The circle was a symbol of love, which has neither beginning nor end.

Thus, a tradition was born that has survived to this day unchanged. This is an important symbol of marriage, a sign of love and fidelity, which determines marital status.

In the 9th century, thanks to Pope Nicholas I, wedding rings became part of the church ceremony. By decision of the Pope, a new law was introduced, according to which putting a wedding ring on the finger of a loved one during a church ceremony symbolized the desire to create a strong family.

On which hand in different countries of the world should a wedding ring be worn?

Different customs of which finger and which hand wear wedding rings in different countries of the world are associated with ancient beliefs, the history of individual countries and religion. On the right hand are worn in:

• Austria,

• Bulgaria,

• Macedonia,

• chile,

• Denmark,

• Georgia,

• Greece,

• Lithuania

• India,

• Germany,

• Hungary,

• Norway,

• Belgium,

• Poland,

• Venezuela,

• Colombia,

• to Cuba,

In European countries, the tradition of wearing wedding jewelry on the right hand is justified by history. Before the January Uprising, couples wore them on the left hand. Only widows wore on the right. After the defeat of the uprising, married women put on their wedding jewelry on their right hands as a sign of mourning. The custom has survived to this day.

The wedding ring is worn on the left hand in:

• brazil,

• australia,

• Czech Republic,

• booting,

• Egypt,

• Japan,

• new zealand,

• France,

• iran,

• ireland,

• Canada,

• mexico,

• Slovakia,

• Croatia,

• Romania,

• Slovenia,

• Turkey,

• USA,

• Great Britain,

• Italy.

• Spain — both in Valencia and in Catalonia.

During the Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom puts the bride’s wedding ring on the index finger of his right hand, and immediately after the wedding — on the ring finger on his left hand. It should not look too expensive or too spectacular, but modest and imperceptible, so that thanks to it the spouses become equal. Thus, possible disproportions in the property of the bride and groom are eliminated.

On which hand do men wear a wedding ring?

Men began decorating their hands with rings much earlier than women. But for them, these decorations on the little finger or on the thumb were a sign of wealth and power, they had nothing to do with marriage, creating and strengthening a family.

In most Muslim countries, with the exception of Iran and Jordan, the exchange of wedding rings is not part of the wedding tradition. In these states, spouses simply wear wedding rings. Men are on the right hand and women are on the left. A similar practice is in place in India.

Muslim men do not wear gold items. Due to the religious standards in place in these countries, only silver jewelry is allowed. In the Muslim religion, gold used to be considered a harbinger of great trouble.

Men in some Asian countries began to wear gold wedding rings only at the beginning of the 20th century.

In Lebanon, Turkey, Romania, Syria and Brazil, the place for a man’s wedding ring is on the ring finger of the right hand until the wedding day. Then it is put on the ring finger of the left hand.

Not all representatives of the stronger sex like it when the ring is on the ring finger. Sometimes it can interfere with work. Another reason is size. Like women, men transfer a ring that is too small or too large to the other finger to avoid discomfort or loss of jewelry.

On which hand is a wedding ring worn in Ukraine?

Here the Christian faith plays an important role, because in Ukraine its followers make up more than 90% of all believers. The history of this religion suggests that the custom «on which hand girls and women should wear wedding rings» was initiated by the church itself.

The priest, reading the verse from the marriage vow: «In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,» laid the wedding rings on the right hands of the bride and groom. When he said «Amen», the bride and groom put rings on the ring fingers of their right hands. Only after that the marriage was considered concluded.

An interesting interpretation of the answer to the question “on which hand should I wear a wedding ring?” give culturologists. They believe that attributes symbolizing feelings are worn on the left hand, and privileges and power are worn on the right. Since marriage is a legally permitted relationship that gives spouses certain privileges and responsibilities, wedding rings must be worn on the right hand.

In Orthodoxy, the right side of the human body is responsible for wealth and prosperity. With the right hand, those who profess Christianity greet each other and obscure the sign of the cross.

However, today during the wedding, the priest does not put wedding rings directly on his hands. After the first part of the marriage vow, when the newlyweds swear love, fidelity and marital honesty, he blesses them, the marriage is sealed with wedding rings.

In Catholicism, this symbolic decoration is reserved for the ring finger of the left hand. This is due to the fact that the ring finger of the left hand is usually associated with the heart located on the same side. Catholics often wear two of these accessories on their left arm, one symbolizing engagement and the other symbolizing marriage.

Christian Armenians also wear these symbolic accessories on their left hand, explaining that the energy of love flows through this hand, supporting the family in difficult times. This tradition is supported by Cubans, Mexicans, French, Turks, Japanese, Canadians and residents of South African republics.

On which finger are wedding rings worn?

Like the name of the ring finger itself, the custom of wearing wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt. It was believed that it was from this finger that the vein leads directly to the heart. Since it was called Vena Amoris — the vein of love, the couple began to wear wedding rings on the ring finger on their wedding day.

A beautiful tradition has survived to this day. There is no consensus in the world about which (left or right) hand a wedding ring is put on, but the ring finger, regardless of country, faith or history, remains the same always and everywhere. It symbolizes the provision of prosperity, strength and eternal love to marriage relationships.

On which hand is it customary to wear a wedding and engagement ring?

To a large extent, this will depend on the preferences of the woman, the desire to show both jewelry, their size and stylistic decision.

In Ukraine, there are three customs regarding which hand a wedding ring is worn on:

1. together — on one hand and on one finger, that is, in a set that emphasizes the dependence of one ring on another. However, in this case, the wedding and engagement rings must match each other in shape and style;

2. separately — on one hand, but on different fingers. This option, where you can wear wedding rings, is suitable for those women who want both products to be side by side, but each has its own place. In such a situation, the wedding ring goes to the middle finger, and the engagement ring goes to the ring finger. But you should consider the size and shape of the fingers;

3. on different hands. If a woman does not want the engagement ring and engagement ring to compete with each other, it is necessary to put them on the ring fingers of different hands. Then each decoration will be able to shine in all its glory and there will be no need to change its size.

Why do not many people wear a wedding ring on their right hand after a divorce?

Most divorced people stop wearing wedding rings. Many married couples decide to remove their wedding jewelry at the stage of breaking up the relationship, even before the divorce. No wonder: if they are a symbol of a certain marriage, when it breaks up, the symbol loses its power.

As for which hand a woman wears a wedding ring after a divorce, some people transfer the jewelry from their right hand to their left. Many even take it off and hide it in a gift box or jewelry box, sell it, melt it down, or pass it on to the child who was the fruit of this union.

Where do widows or widowers wear wedding rings?

Both in Europe and in Ukraine, the possibility of wearing a wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand usually indicates the death of a spouse. If a woman or a man still wants to always have with him a symbol of his feelings for his late husband or dead wife, they transfer the ring from the right to the left hand.

Signs of fate associated with wedding rings

Many different superstitions are often associated with these accessories, on the basis of which many are trying to find out if the newlyweds expect a warm, trusting and harmonious relationship in the future.

In Poland, there is a common sign that explains why wedding rings are worn on the ring finger of the right hand. It is believed: if the jewelry is transferred to the left hand, the marriage will soon fall apart or the partner will be lost. In North American countries, this is an omen of the end of love in marriage.

The most common folk signs common to many countries:

• parents of the bride and groom are not recommended to hand over wedding rings if their marriage has broken up. It is believed that this type of jewelry is able to collect and store information about the energy of previous owners;

• giving such jewelry to other people is a negative sign. But allowing an unmarried girl to touch this accessory is a favorable sign. This is a way to “share” the state of a young family and endow it with positive energy;

• both rings must be chosen and purchased by the groom. Both products must be purchased on the same day and in the same store. The couple can together choose the appropriate option, but in any case, the man will have to pay for such an acquisition himself;

• these accessories should not be purchased in a negative mood and in a hurry. In this case, it is recommended to postpone the purchase for later;

• wearing engagement rings before the wedding ceremony is considered a bad omen. If a couple wants to emphasize the seriousness of their intentions, it is advisable to purchase special engagement rings for this;

• to maintain good relations between spouses, it is undesirable to remove wedding rings without a good reason. It is also not recommended for spouses to exchange wedding rings, since each such jewelry has a special energy and can affect people in different ways, even if they can be very close to each other.

There is no single rule applicable to the double oath of marital fidelity — both ecclesiastical and civil. The decision again belongs to the newlyweds. It happens that the bride and groom are specially waiting for the wedding in the church to put on wedding rings. Other couples, on the contrary, decide long before the wedding in the church to wear wedding rings on the left hand, and then transfer them to the right on the day of the church wedding.