Significance of The Rings

In many countries wedding rings are considered sacred symbols of love and endless devotion. There are many customs that concern wedding rings across the world, each one offering a heart warming symbolism that celebrates love.

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

There are different variants of customs regarding wedding rings all over the world – all meaning more or less the same. In most countries, the wedding rings are made of a type of metal, though the favorite and most popular choice is gold, in the form of a flat band.

These rings normally have no design, stone or embellishment on it. These wedding rings are shaped in this way for a reason – the flat band that looks like a continuous circle symbolizes the eternal love the couple vows to give one another.

In some countries the name of the spouse is engraved on the inside of the ring with a tiny inscription. This would once again symbolic of the fact that the name of the spouse is forever inscribed in one another's heart.

Wedding rings are usually worn on the fourth finger of the left hand – this is because it is believed that there is a vein that connects it directly to the heart and hence when the ring is worn here it stays closest to the heart. In other countries it is worn on the right hand symbolizing its importance – from the custom that believe that the most important guest to be seated on the right side of the host.

There are customs that hold the belief that once the wedding rings are made, they can never be individually modified as this would mean that the couple would separate. In case any change is required, both the rings would be melted and remade. Under this premise, it is considered extreme bad luck to lose your wedding ring under any circumstance. In case one of the spouses does lose his/ her wedding ring, two more need to be made at the earliest and worn in unison. The odd one in the pair (the ring that was not lost) should never be worn again.

These traditions are such that their meaning and symbolism have become ageless. This shows that no matter how modern you are, no matter where you live, no matter the country from where you originate, no matter how rich or poor you are - when you speak of love, the language in universal.