Ring Finger: Wedding Ring Finger Meaning

The ring finger—also known as the annulary or fourth finger—is the fourth digit on humans’ hands, between the middle finger and the pinky or little finger. Anatomically, the finger is the digitus annularis, digitus quartus, or digitus IV, which each translate to ring finger, fourth finger, and finger four, respectively.

The wedding finger is the digit where people wear their wedding and engagement rings. In Western culture, the fourth finger of the left hand is the wedding ring finger. There are different meanings for various engagement and wedding ring placements. Before modern science discovered the functions of the circulatory system, people believed a vein ran directly from this fourth finger to the heart. This hand-heart connection became known as vena amoris, Latin for the “vein of love.” In some religions, the left hand symbolizes evil, so the wedding ring finger is the right ring finger. Other cultures view the right hand as a symbol of trust.

Several ring finger wedding traditions have existed throughout history.

• Ancient Rome: Ancient Romans offered their brides-to-be a ring at the betrothal ceremony; today, this has evolved into proposals.
• Medieval Europe: In the Middle ages, brides wore the ring on their thumb, then index finger, then middle finger, and then fourth finger during the wedding ceremony, stopping at the ring finger.
• Eastern Orthodox Church: In the Eastern Orthodox Church, women commonly wore their ring on their left hand before marriage, then transferred it over to the ring finger of the right hand after the wedding.

Traditions around the wedding or engagement ring finger vary among cultures, regions, and religions. Countries like Germany, Ukraine, Norway, and Bulgaria wear wedding rings on the right hand. In some Asian cultures, grooms wear rings on their right hand, but brides wear them on the left. In the Muslim religion, grooms do not wear wedding rings. In traditional Jewish weddings, the groom places a ring on the bride’s right index finger because it is the most prominent digit.

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