Why wedding rings are worn on the left hand in the US and Europe: it's not just about religion

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People have been giving and wearing rings on their fingers for a very long time, this tradition dates back to Ancient Rome. Back then, it was believed that wearing jewelry on the left hand would bring bad luck, so the right hand became the best and most reliable option.

In our country, brides do the same, but on which hand they wear a wedding ring in other countries – find out in the material.

Where they wear a wedding ring on the left hand – a list of countries

The English, Portuguese, Poles, French, Irish, Swedes, Swiss, Romanians, Czechs, New Zealanders, Canadians, Belgians and representatives of other nations have long decided on which finger is best to wear a wedding ring.

They chose the ring finger because they believed that the so-called “vein of love” runs from it to the heart, which doctors later called a nerve. According to some reports, the first to wear a ring on the fourth finger were the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Wearing a symbol of a strong marriage union on the left hand is a characteristic feature of Western traditions.

Interestingly, in Germany and Holland, the wedding ritual begins long before the wedding itself, that is:

• proposed – put the wedding rings on the left hand;
• married – changed to the right.

A ring on the right hand will make it clear that there has been a change in the status of a man or woman.

In Italy, a ring that is worn on a finger after marriage should only be worn on the left hand. Moreover, it is better if it is a decoration without frills. There, people believe that the simpler the wedding ring, the calmer the family life will be. If one of the spouses dies, the widow or widower wears the decoration on the right hand.

Interesting fact: in many Western countries there is a rule – if the bride changes her mind about getting married, she must return the ring that was given to her during the engagement. This happens for two reasons. The first – as a rule, a very expensive piece of jewelry with a large diamond is given for an engagement, and ordinary rings are simpler for those who get engaged. The second – Catholics often prefer to pass on engagement rings as an inheritance, that is, it is quite possible that the newly-made bride was given an old ring from her great-grandmother as a gift, and if the girl changes her mind, the family heirloom should not remain with her.

On which hand is a wedding ring worn in America

Americans also decided a long time ago on which finger they wear a wedding ring in their country. As you know, the States is a “honeycomb” of many nationalities, there is no other country in the world with such a variety of nationalities and races. In addition, indigenous peoples still live there.

As a rule, both choose the left hand for the wedding ring, and the girl will most likely have two of them on her finger – the one that was given as a gift at the engagement, and the one that the man put on his finger during the marriage vows. The man in this case takes a more modest position – he is assigned only one ring – the wedding ring.

There is a version that the left hand was chosen not only out of devotion to Catholicism, but also in the name of practicality. If a person is right-handed, then their left hand is less active, which means there is less chance of accidentally losing a wedding ring or a stone in it.

Why is a wedding ring worn on the right hand and who does it?

In all countries where the main religion is Orthodoxy, a wedding ring is worn on the right hand during a wedding. Almost all residents of the now independent states of the former USSR can be considered an example of this tradition. Interestingly, during the time of Kievan Rus, such a decoration was worn on the index finger, since it is more visible than the others – this was done to emphasize one's status.

The inhabitants of Jordan and India also choose the right hand, but for a different reason – the left hand is “dirty”, so a ring, as a symbol of love, loyalty and devotion, cannot be worn on it.

The Spaniards, Colombians, Peruvians, Venezuelans and Cubans are those who wear a wedding ring on their right hand, although most of the inhabitants of the respective countries profess the Catholic faith. Most likely, this is due to the fact that their ancestors also wore jewelry on the right hand, and this privilege applied only to women, and over time, descendants inherited the tradition.