Ever Wondered Why Wedding Ring Is Worn On 4th Finger ? Here’s Why.


The exchanging of rings is one of the most touching and sacred part of wedding ceremony. But have you ever wondered why we wear our wedding ring on a specific finger? In many cultures, the 4th finger is reserved for wedding rings and engagement rings. But the question is – WHY? There are a lot of different historic and symbolic theories and explanations. But the Chinese have given a beautiful and very convincing theory as to why the wedding ring should go on the fourth finger.

WHERE DID THE TRADITION OF WEARING WEDDING RINGS START FROM?

Tradition of wearing wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand can be traced back to the times of the ancient Egyptians who believed that a special vein called “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”, ran from the top of the fourth finger of the left hand directly to the heart. By wearing the wedding ring on this finger, the symbol of a couples love was always connected directly and kept close to their hearts via the “vein of love”. According to scientific evidence this myth is not true. Although, people still like to believe it is.

CHINESE EXPLANATION FOR A WEDDING RING’S FINGER

On the other side of the world, the Chinese culture developed a theory, which is really interesting. According to the Chinese, there is a reason why the wedding ring is designated for the fourth finger. They think that each finger represents a different relationship. Below is each finger and who they stand for according to Chinese belief.
  • 1. Your thumb represents your parents.
  • 2. Your index finger represents your siblings
  • 3. Your middle finger represents yourself.
  • 4. Your fourth finger represents your life partner
  • 5. The little finger represents your children.
Hold your thumbs, index fingers, fourth fingers and pinky fingers tip to tip, and bend your middle fingers and hold them joint to joint like this:
importance-of-ring-finger
Try separating your thumbs (parents) – They will open.
This is because you are not destined to live with your parents for the rest of your lives.
Try separating your index fingers (siblings) – They will open
Because your brothers and sisters will have to live their own separate lives and have their own families.
Try separating your pinky fingers (children) – They will open 
Because your children will grow up, get married and settle down on their own terms.
Now, try to separate your fourth fingers, which represent your spouse.
You’ll be surprised to find you just cannot separate them, because the love of your life and you are meant to be together for all their lives, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, forever.