Historical Meaning of Wedding Rings

Historical Meaning of Wedding Rings : We all know wedding rings are a long tradition and most people really do honor it, at least in some form. We also assume they symbolize some kind of union between two people and their love and devotion to each other. However, come to think about it, we don’t really know much more than that.

How old is the tradition? How did it arise? Has it had the same meaning over time? It seems reasonable to get informed about the subject, especially if one’s planning to get married and wear rings. It can only give you more clarity when it comes to the act itself and if you do like the story, it will just become more profound and meaningful for you, so it’s a win-win.

History

The origin of wedding rings goes back as far as 6000 years in ancient Egypt. Evidence shows that spouses used to exchange rings that had been braided from hemp and reeds. How did this idea occur to them? What was the inspiration?

Well, ancient Egyptians believed that the circle symbolizes eternity, so it would be appropriate for spouses to wear such a circle that would represent their eternal love for each other. They also believed that the left ring finger encloses a very special vein which is connected directly to the heart. In Latin, this vein was called vena amoris. When it comes to Western civilizations, in ancient Rome and Greece, wedding rings would represent a promise of fidelity.

Styles

During the years, wedding rings styles have changed several times. For instance, there was a gimmal ring which is characteristic by two hoops or links that form one ring. The name stems from the Latin word for twins which exactly describes this ring. It was in use in the 16^th and 17^th century and both the bride and the groom wore one band of the ring at the ceremony.

Later on, both parts of the ring would be given to the wife to wear. There were also poesy rings that were popular in the Renaissance. As the name suggests, they had poems inscribed on a silver band. Puzzle rings were also interesting because of their difficulty to assemble. As the rings signify fidelity, it was believed that the husband would know if the wife took the ring off.

Present

In the earlier times, it was mostly a custom that the woman wears the ring. However, during World War II, many men started wearing the rings to remember their wives and as a sign that they’re still with them even though they’re far away and may never return. After that, it became customary that both the husband and the wife wear wedding rings.

Nowadays, men buy engagement rings to mark the act of a promise and a love vow. The tradition is so popular that there is a huge variety of rings everywhere and it’s difficult to decide on the right one. Men have a very difficult task to choose from many gorgeous engagement rings and find the one that will depict all the love they feel. It isn’t an easy task and one needs long preparations and a very good eye to find the very best.

All in all, throughout history, the meaning of a wedding ring has had various connotations. Opinions are divided. Some feel that wearing rings is a romantic act of mutual love, while others refuse to take part in it as they feel it’s just “marking territory”. Nevertheless, most people gladly honor this tradition and enjoy wearing rings. There are alternative ideas such as tattoos or different pieces of jewelry, but the rings have been successfully beating all the competition so far.