Which Finger Does One Wear An Engagement Ring On?

One of the most important pieces of information that potential grooms should know is which finger does one wear an engagement ring on. Imagine an incredibly nervous suitor taking his girlfriend out for a romantic dinner at their favorite restaurant with every intention of proposing that night. He begins to tell her how much he loves her, opens up the box with a beautiful diamond ring inside, gets down on one knee, pops the question, and then...whoops! He doesn't know where to put the ring!

To avoid this situation, whoever chooses to buy the ring in the relationship should be aware of a few standard rules regarding the practice of engagement rings. However, more importantly, they should be aware of the feelings of the person they plan to wed. If he or she is not traditional, where the ring belongs-if a ring is even wanted at all-may not really be of any importance.

Standard Practice

Generally, in western countries like the United States, the engagement ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, appropriately dubbed the "ring finger." This finger is the one between the pinkie and middle finger. The reason for this practice is that the veins on the fourth finger of the left hand are generally considered to be the "veina amoris" or the "vein of love." Those definitions mean that the vein is directly connected to the heart; therefore, placing the ring on that finger would be extremely symbolic of love and affection.

Other Methods

In other countries such as France, Spain, Germany, Poland, and the Ukraine, engagement rings are traditionally worn on the right hand because of fears associated with the left hand. People in these countries look to the Latin meanings of words in order to decide which hand to place the ring on. The Latin word for left is "sinistra" which became the English word "sinister," while the Latin word for right is "dexter" which became the English word "dexterity." Therefore, they associate the left hand with evil, and would certainly not want anyone's marriage to carry such coarse and negative meanings.

At The Wedding

Confusion often arises at the wedding, since the wedding band also needs to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand if the couple wishes to follow the traditional rules of ring-wearing. The wedding ring is usually worn closer to the body, or the heart as some say, and the engagement ring is placed in front of it. Therefore, the person wearing the engagement ring has two options.

Before walking down the aisle, the engagement ring can be moved to the right hand for the duration of the ceremony, and then placed in front of the wedding ring later. Another option is to simply keep the engagement ring on the left hand, place the wedding band in front of it during the ceremony, and then switch the order of the rings later.

Considerations

Now that the answer to which finger does one wear an engagement ring on has been established, it is time to break that rule. In the end, where one chooses to wear an engagement ring and/or wedding band is not going to make or break the wedding celebration or the marriage. The practice is based purely on tradition. For the couple who wants to keep up the customs, following the rules is certainly important then. However, for couples who want to stray from tradition, they may  wear their rings wherever they wish, if they want to wear rings at all, without any fear.