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On which finger should you wear your wedding ring?
The wedding ring is generally worn on the ring finger, knowing that etymologically this word means "the one on which the ring is placed." However, it's important to know that traditions vary by country and preference!
Different ways of wearing the wedding ring according to countries
In Europe, tradition has evolved over time.
In the Middle Ages, the wedding ring was mainly worn on the right hand, and it was only from the 16th century that it was worn on the left hand in France and the United Kingdom. Nordic and Germanic countries followed the same tradition, for example, Norway and Germany.
However, there are countries where the wedding ring is still worn on the right ring finger: Spain, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, or Russia.
Note that sometimes different norms exist within the same country. These differences can be explained, among other things, by religious traditions. In the Netherlands, Catholics wear the wedding ring on the left hand and Protestants on the right hand.
Differences depending on the symbolism of the left or right hand
The rituals for exchanging wedding rings vary according to customs because the symbolism of the hands can vary according to religions. Thus, in certain religions or traditions, the right hand symbolizes honor and purity.
An anatomical reality
Etymologically, the ring finger meant "the one on which the ring is placed," but we can also take into account an anatomical reality. Although having an intermediate position, the ring finger has an important mechanical function because it ensures a strong grip with the little finger. We let you see the symbolic link for yourself.
However, we remain convinced, like Paul Valéry, that the analysis of fingers as well as hands is an inexhaustible source of reflection and interpretation:
"I have sometimes been surprised that there was no "Treatise on the Hand," a profound study of the countless potentialities of this prodigious machine that combines the most nuanced sensitivity with the most delicate forces. But it would be an boundless study. The hand attaches to our instincts, provides for our needs, offers to our ideas, a collection of innumerable instruments and means. How to find a formula for this apparatus that in turn strikes and blesses, receives and gives, feeds, takes an oath, beats time, reads for the blind, speaks for the mute, reaches out to a friend, rises against an adversary, and becomes a hammer, pliers, alphabet..." Paul Valéry, Speech to Surgeons, October 17, 1938
As you will have understood, everyone is free to wear their wedding ring on the finger they wish: on the left or right hand, on the ring finger or not, depending on their culture, religion, or simply their desires.
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