Why is the wedding ring on your fourth finger?

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MrsLMB

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Why is the wedding ring on your fourth finger?

The Chinese have given a beautiful and very convincing theory as to why the wedding ring should go on the fourth finger.

As the story goes :
Look at your left hand, the hand that your wedding ring goes on, and do you see your thumb? Well the thumb represents your parents.

Now your index finger, or your first finger, represents your siblings.

The third finger, lovingly called the middle finger by some, represents yourself.

The fourth finger represents your life partner.

And your pinkie is to represent the children you will some day have.

Now if you place both of your hands together and bend your middle fingers together, and leave the other fingers touching together (like shown in the picture).

When you have your hands as such do this :

Pull your thumbs apart. This represents the parents. Your thumbs will open because you and your parents are not destined to be together forever. At some point they will leave you in your life. Now put your thumbs back together.

Repeat the same motion with your index fingers (this representing your siblings). Of course your index fingers will also separate because you are also not destined to be with your siblings for the rest of your life. They will move on and have families of their own. Now put them back together.

Now seperate your pinkies. (representing your future children) Of course these will also seperate because your children will not be with you forever. They will grow up to have lives and families of their own as well. Now put them back together.

Now for your "ring" finger. (representing your life partner) Try separating them as you did with the other.

Can't do it can you? That is because your life partner is the one who is supposed to be with you for the rest of your life. They will be the one to be with you forever and through thick and thin.
 
Interesting. I had been told (long, long ago) that there is a vein that runs from your ring finger to your heart. I don't know of there's any truth to that, but that was accepted as common kowledge around my group of friends and family.
 
Pacanis, that is what I heard too. Vena amoris is what the Romans called it. It isn't true sadly, but that is why they did the ring thing the way they did.
 
It's funny. I haven't been able to wear my rings for months because of swelling and there is no point in getting them resized as my fingers go up and down like a yo yo. I just got them on a couple of weeks ago and as soon as they were on that fourth finger of my left hand I felt "complete". Not a bells and whistles feeling, but just and inner peace kind of thing!
 
In some cultures, one wears the wedding band on the right hand while engaged, and then transferred to the left when married. My rings are currently in the jeweler's vault in MN because two of the small sapphires cracked and he had to order stones to be cut to match. This didn't happen before I left in February, and I haven't been back since. They are irreplaceable (family heirlooms), so I don't want them shipped, even with insurance. I had hoped to pick them up during the summer, but that didn't happen. I'm hoping to make a trip to MN in April when I have to go to STL or KC for meetings so I can pick them up. My hand feels naked.
 
It's all interesting of course, but for example Russians do not wear wedding ring on the left hand. And by Jewish tradition man do not wear a ring at all. Go figure.

P.S. Go figure I have no problem separating any and all fingers.
 
Pacanis, that is what I heard too. Vena amoris is what the Romans called it. It isn't true sadly, but that is why they did the ring thing the way they did.


i've heard the same thing, but it's attributed to the ancient egyptians.

i like the chinese version better. thanks mrs. lmb.
 
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