Pose this question to any person – married, unmarried or to be married, and you will probably get a blank look. Not everyone is aware of “ring regulations”, and some may just shrug away the question with a “who’s going to notice anyway”? However there are a few traditions that need to be followed, especially for an important ceremony like a wedding, where wedding rings and even the slightly older, yet unforgettable engagement rings play an important part.
A wedding ring symbolizes boundless love, absolute loyalty, and unstinted dedication, which combine to make the institution of marriage long-lasting. Newlyweds flaunt their wedding rings with pride, often sending out strong signals about their married status and the commitment to their spouses. Wearing a wedding ring is not just slipping on any ring on your finger that can be removed at the slightest feeling of discomfort or irritation. Wedding rings stay put for a lifetime, and you can’t even think of taking them off while pottering in the garden or going on a dangerous rock climbing adventure.
At the time of engagement, you normally wear engagement rings on the ring finger of your left hand, which is the standard practice. The day you are going to be married, you need to switch your engagement ring for the more permanent and one of the most coveted things in anyone’s life – the wedding ring. Obviously, you cannot wear two rings in one finger, because it really is as absurd as it sounds. The normal practice is to slip off the engagement rings and transfer them to the ring finger of the right hand, leaving the ring finger of the left hand free to receive the all-important wedding ring. There are, however, exceptions in countries like Germany where the ring finger in the right hand is reserved for wedding rings.
There is another myth related to wearing your wedding ring on the ring finger of your left hand. As the heart is on the left side of the body, the ring is directly connected to the heart, making you more emotionally connected to your spouse. There are a few people who still wear both, the wedding ring and the engagement ring on the same finger, as there is no hard and fast rule. Most beliefs are based on tradition which everyone follows without questioning. However, there is yet another way to get around this, simply slide the engagement ring on to the chain that you are wearing, and let it hang nearer to your heart.
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