Head to any engaged person's Facebook or Instagram, and odds are that most—if not all—of their photos will not-so-stealthily include their left hand. Why? They're showing off their new jewels, of course! Yes, in the Western World, both engagement rings and wedding rings are traditionally worn on the left ring finger. But why are engagement and wedding rings worn on the left hand? And why is the second finger from the left considered the "ring finger" anyway? Well, we dug deep into the history books to find the answers, which date back thousands of years.
Why is the ring finger called the ring finger?
The ring finger became the ring finger a long, long time ago—specifically, during Ancient Egyptian times. It was then that, according to George Monger'sMarriage Customs of the World, people started to believe that there was "a vein or nerve [that] went from this finger to the heart" called the vena amoris (AKA the vein of love).
During the 17th century, Dutch physician Lemnius even claimed that he could revive fainted women by pinching the medicus finger (as they called it) and using a bit of saffron. His claim was that these simple tactics could "refresheth the fountain of life unto which this finger is joined," as Monger notes in his book.
Why is the wedding ring worn on the left hand?
Science has since proven that every single finger has veins running to the heart. However, that hasn't stopped engaged and married individuals from keeping up with this wedding tradition. The science might not all be there, but the romantic notion remains.
Monger also believes Americans continue to wear their wedding rings on the left hand as a matter of convenience as well as tradition. Considering approximately 10 percent of the population is left-handed, "the left hand is, as a rule, not used as much as the right," he writes.
However, there are plenty of people around the world who don't wear their wedding rings on their left ring finger. According to wedding ring seller My Trio Rings, couples opt to wear their wedding rings on the right hand in India, where the left hand is considered unclean, and Orthodox Christians also customarily wear their wedding bands on their right hands. That tradition began due to the evil association with the word "left"—"sinister" comes from a Latin word that means "on the left side," Merriam-Webster notes.
Ultimately, how you decide to wear your wedding ring is up to you. Though tradition dictates that you should wear it on your left ring finger, there's nothing wrong with switching it up and putting that ring on your right hand if you'd like!
