Wedding Ring Traditions Around The World

A wedding ring is the most important custom in weddings around the world! But have you ever thought about why is it worn on the left hand only? Well, you could be wrong here because there are several cultures with different traditions that you might not have heard of. Let’s dig in to find out:

The western tradition of wedding ring is traced back to Ancient Rome when according to the Romans, the vein in the third finger goes directly to the heart. It is called the ‘vena amoris’ or the ‘vein of love,’ thus the tradition that is followed to this day. Some cultures around the world adopted this tradition, but there are some others who have it different.

Wearing a wedding ring in the Muslim culture is not traditionally a part of the wedding ceremony; however, in the modern weddings nowadays with no fixed tradition, the couples decide the ring hand for themselves.

Historically, the wedding ring in the Jewish culture is a plain gold band o be worn on the index finger. The idea behind it? The pointed finger makes it easier to show off the band. In contemporary traditions, however, the ring is moved to the third finger on the left hand after the ceremony.

The Indian culture, like the Muslim culture has no tradition of presenting a wedding ring. This has been adopted by modern weddings but that too comes with a different belief. The men don’t wear the ring on their left hand as its considered to be unpromising for their future, while it’s up to the women to wear in whichever hand she likes.

Several countries like Denmark, Greece, Spain, Poland, Norway, Austria, and Hungary have the tradition of wearing the ring on the right hand, while Netherlands and Germany wear the engagements ring on the left and wedding ring on the right hand to symbolize the change in their cultural status.

Who knew the left hand phenomenon is not followed by everyone! What other cultural tradition do you know about rings? Share with us in the comments below!