On which finger is a wedding ring is supposed to worn? What do historical traditions have to say about this?

The first evidence of the exchanging of rings during a marriage ceremony was in ancient Egypt, about 4800 years ago. The Egyptians considered this practice as a symbol of the couple's everlasting love. This tradition was later introduced to the Roman Empire, however in their culture the ring had a very different, much less romantic connotation to it. They believed that the ring symbolized a legal commitment in a sense that if it was accepted by the girl, it was a confirmation that she no longer considers herself to be free. In essence, it was an agreement to make yourself property of your man. In both those cultures it was agreed that the ring should be worn on the third finger of the left hand. They believed that a vein they used to call "vena amoris" ("the vein of love" in Latin) ran from this finger directly to the heart, and therefore directly connected the new spouses to each other's hearts. In later times, the same finger remained a consensus, but for different reasons. In medieval times it was custom during a religious wedding ceremony for the groom to place the ring on the bride's left thumb, then index and followed by the middle, while saying "In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Ghost" – referring to each finger as each of these religious symbols. The ring was then finally placed on the next finger. Even though most people still wear their wedding rings on their left hand, some European women wear their ring on their right hand, and some Scandinavian women wear three rings to represent engagement, marriage and motherhood. It all really depends on the common norms agreed upon in each country or culture. For example, in Jewish tradition the ring is placed on the index finger first, since that is the finger that is used to point to the Torah as they read. Therefore the question of "Which finger" has more to do with cultural background than with right or wrong. In modern days, brides wear a ring as a sign of their ongoing affection to their spouse, and it has also become acceptable for the husband to wear a ring to express his commitment and fidelity to his wife. Who knows what new tradition regarding the ring the future will bring. For time being – you are able to choose which one of the existing traditions is most meaningful to you.

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