Wedding rings symbolize a lifelong bond: About their origin and tradition

„Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe.“ – This little rhyme is one of the most well-known in the world of wedding traditions. It encourages a bride to carry something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue along with a coin of money on the day of her wedding. The custom originated in the English cultural sphere, where it had been cherished ever since the reign of Queen Victoria. In our country, the coin of money is often omitted, reducing the number of lucky charms to “four somethings”. But, these four somethings are not even the most important things to bring to a wedding. The undisputed king of wedding ceremony must-haves is none other than: the wedding ring. And has been for many decades. After all: Wedding rings are held as symbols of a lifelong bond. But, what are the origins of the wedding ring and what is there to tell that is worth knowing about this tradition? We know the answers.

From a sign of ownership to a symbol of love

Given the familiar symbolism we associate with the wedding ring, you could assume that it had its origin in the last century, a time where marriage was turned into a romantic notion. But the fact is: The wedding ring hails back to antiquity. What is more, it had nothing to do with love: Instead, men simply picked the wife they wanted - the women had no choice in the matter. To indicate that a woman belonged to a specific man, the woman was given a ring to wear, which was usually made of iron. A ring was also used by the Romans to signify proprietorship, and when the first signet rings became fashionable, men frequently passed them on to their wives. The ring did not receive its clerical meaning until the Middle Ages: Pope Nicholas I is quoted to have said this at a conference in 855: “Just as the ring has no beginning and no end, so the relationship and the covenant with God should last forever.” Finally, in the 13th century, wedding rings became an integral part of the rituals celebrated by the church.

Right or left – that is a mandate of the culture

Today, wedding rings are blessed in the church first before bride and groom says yes to each other and exchange rings. Civil wedding ceremonies have come to integrate the exchanging of the rings, too. But, no matter if a couple becomes married in a civil or in a church ceremony – one popular superstition refuses to die: If the ring slides onto the bride’s finger with ease on the Big Day, the indication is that the groom will play the dominant role in the relationship. Conversely, if the same act proves to be difficult, the woman is supposed to call the shots. Moreover, the finger on which the wedding ring ends up is mandated by the respective culture and its traditions. Customary in Austria and Germany is to wear it on the ring finger of the right hand. However, the rest of the world predominantly calls for the ring to be worn on the ring finger of the left hand. Despite these differences, the symbolism behind wedding rings is still the same everywhere today: With their circular shape that has no beginning and no end they signify the eternal love shared by a married couple.