Oohh... that gold(or diamond) ring that that makes the bride literally want to fly to the moon, apart from the wedding dress, ofcourse. And while they voice their vows, the ring goes through the first finger, second, third and lands on the fourth with a great cheer and clamour from the crowd. *Deep sigh* the sheer happiness. But something always itched me about the wedding ring. I usually ask myself; why is it always the 4th finger of the left hand. Don't you ask yourself the same thing?
Apparently wedding rings are pieces of jewellery that symbolize the never-ending love between the married couples(That's why its circle-shaped and not a box because you don't want your partner to be cutting ''corners''). As far as we know it wedding rings are not biblical. However, evidence has surfaced from ancient Egyptian relics, including papyrus scrolls, of couples exchanging braided rings made out of hemp(yes, hemp), to mark the solemnization of a couple. Even then it was the women who wore it alone until the 19th and 20th century when both the husband and wive both wore them.
As you move from one culture/tradition/religious faith to another you'd find that the practice of wearing wedding rings has great levels of variation. Some don't believe in the wedding ring practice while others who believe and practice it, wear it on the right hand! Examples? India, Russia, Spain, Slovakia etc. But one thing is certain: it is worn on the fourth finger, hence the name "ring finger". So the question remains: why the fourth finger?
So many myths, theories and beliefs have been laid upon humanity as to why the ring goes into the fourth finger. Some of which have gone from being alcohol-motivated-statements-of-stupidity to just being laughable quotes. Some are pragmatic while some are rational. Thousand of years ago the Egyptians and Persians believed there was a vein on the fourth finger of the left hand called 'Vena Amoris' also known as the Vein of Love that ran directly from the fourth finger to the heart, symbolizing the love between married couples. According to scientific evidence this myth is not true. Although people still like to think it is. No judgement there.
Just when you think you've had enough theories bobbling your head about the wedding ring, BOOM, the Chinese emerge! (seriously must everything be made in China?) The Chinese develped a theory and believe me this is the most pragmatic I've heard or seen. And funny too. They said if you look at your fingers they are all representations of your past, present and future generations...
- The Thumb represents your Parents
- The Index represents your Siblings
- The Middle finger represents yourself
- The Ring finger represents your partner
- The Fifth/pinkie finger represents your future children
Through this finger representation they were able to theorize why the wedding ring is placed on the fourth finger. Time for a little experiment.
Now let's try this...
Place your hands together(palm to palm) and then bend both your middle finger inwards so that the knuckles touch each other while the rest of your fingers are still in contact with one another. If you do it correctly your hands will look just like this;
Now try to pull your thumbs apart. What happens? You'd find out that you can separate them with ease. According to the Chinese you're not supposed to live with your parents for the rest of your life. You'd grow, leave them and start your own life.
Pull apart your index fingers(your siblings). Easy, right? Same reason as for your parents. No matter how much love you have for your sister or brother you guys aren't meant to be together for the rest of your lives. It's not what was predestined.
Switch over to your little pinkie fingers which represent your children and pull them apart. Same result. I believe we will all be great dads and moms one day and would cherish our kids and keep them close forever. Truth is, it won't be forever. Ultimately, they'll grow up, have a life of their own and start a family. Just the way you left your parents.
Now to the ring finger which represent your life partner, try separating them apart. You'd notice that you cannot or experience great amount of difficulty trying to. This signifies that husband and wife are suppose to remain together forever through thick and thin.
This blows the mind. And rightly so. One thing you'd notice about this theory is that the ring finger doesn't separate until after the middle finger. That is to say marriages won't hit a tumble and shatter if the individuals involved don't give up fighting for whom and what they love, especially when challenges come.
So there you have it, the Chinese interpretation of why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger. However, rings do not represent fidelity, that's a matter of the heart. And as a clergy once said ''a ring is just something you flash at the other girl''.
In conclusion, the wedding ring is a symbolization of whatever you make of it, whether it is an instrument you're proud to show off because of the beautiful union you have or just a piece you use to chase other suitors away. What matters is the love that exist in the hearts of the bride and groom, and that is independent of any perception about a ring.
Fun Fact: Like I mentioned earlier in some countries the couples wear the wedding ring on the right hand. Why? It is said that the right hand symbolizes the strength of the marriage between a husband and a wife given it is the most dominant of the two hand and thus the rings should be placed there.
