Wedding ring finger..........

[Nichole]

Ok so, is there any Biblical reference to wearing your wedding ring on your right hand instead of left? Or is this a custom that some (not all) Orthodox Christians do?

 

[MariaRegina]

Orthodox Priests recommend that the wedding ring be placed on the right hand.

However, many brides slip the ring over to the left hand and have sized the ring for that finger.

I wear two wedding bands.
The left one is from my Catholic Nuptial Mass.
The right one is from my silver anniversary which was celebrated in the Orthodox Church with a special blessing.

 

[choirfiend]

There are biblical references left and right to placing rings on the right hand. They are all referenced in the Orthodox wedding service. All Orthodox practice this with the exception of where it has been influenced by the Anglo-Germanic folk tale of how there is a vein in the left hand ring finger that runs straight to the heart (which is where the practice of wearing wedding rings on that finger on the left hand comes from). Most cultures place a ring on the right hand--even Orthodox Jews do so to this day.

 

[MariaRegina]

Thanks, Choir.

When you get married, will you also wear the ring on your right hand?

Congratulations, by the way. God grant you both many years.

 

[katherine2001]

My first priest explained that the wedding ring is worn on the right hand because it is the hand of blessing.

 

[choirfiend]

Yes, we will leave the rings on the right hands where the priest puts them.

Here's the part from the service that is especially relevant.

Priest:
O Lord our God, who didst accompany the servant of the patriarch Abraham into Mesopotamia, when he was sent to espouse a wife for his lord Isaac, and who, by means of the drawing of water, didst reveal to him that he should betroth Rebecca: Do Thou, the same Lord, bless also the betrothal of these Thy servants, ___ and ___, and confirm the promise that they have made. Establish them in the holy union which is from Thee. For in the beginning Thou didst make them male and female, and by Thee the woman is joined unto the man as a helper and for the procreation of the human race. Therefore, O Lord our God, who hast sent forth Thy truth upon Thine inheritance, and Thy covenant unto Thy servants our fathers, Thine elect from generation to generation: Look upon Thy servant, ___, and Thy handmaiden, ___, and establish and make firm their betrothal, in faith and in oneness of mind, in truth and in love. For Thou, O Lord, hast declared that a pledge should be given and confirmed in all things. By a ring power was given to Joseph in Egypt; by a ring Daniel was glorified in the land of Babylon; by a ring the uprightness of Tamar was revealed; by a ring our heavenly Father showed His bounty upon His Son, for He said: Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry. By Thine own right hand, 0 Lord, Thou didst arm Moses in the Red Sea; by Thy true word the heavens were established, and the foundations of the earth were made firm; and the right hands of Thy servants also shall be blessed by Thy mighty word and by Thine upraised arm. Therefore, O Master, bless now this putting‑on of rings with Thy heavenly blessing, and let Thine angel go before them all the days of their life. For Thou art He that blesses and sanctifies all things, and unto Thee are due all glory, honor, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Pp: Amen.

 

[MariaRegina]

Thanks so very much, choir.

 

[Julina]

i've seen some Orthodox Christians who wear it on the left hand.

i'd just be worried because i do everything with my right hand so i might take it off more.

 

[MariaRegina]

My husband lost his wedding ring that way and it slipped off his left finger because he works with both hands.
So do I, however, I have managed not to lose any of my rings. Whenever I do any grungy work,
I do take my ring off and place it in only one place, a special porcelain swan that was given me by the ring manufacturer.

So, I bought him a new ring for his silver anniversary present.

 

[Nichole]

Hummm........at our Orthodox wedding in December...........rings were not placed on our right had. But afterwards I switched it to my right hand. We always wore ours on the left hand...........Protestants that is.

 

[Blue Olive]

I have seen some OCs wear it on their left hand. I wear mine on my right. I don't remember where it's referenced in the Bible, but I'm sure someone can look it up.

 

[choirfiend]

Hummm........at our Orthodox wedding in December...........rings were not placed on our right had. But afterwards I switched it to my right hand. We always wore ours on the left hand...........Protestants that is.

The priest probably knew what hand you had worn it on before and left it there as an "economia" of sorts. I know Orthodox who wear it on their left, but they were mostly married before they became Orthodox OR they are particularly influenced by the culture and switch it after the wedding.

 

[Dorothea]

At our wedding, our rings were placed on our left hands. Our priest didn't tell us we should wear them on our right hands, so we've always worn them on our left hands, but we learned years later about wearing rings on the right hand. My husband switched to wearing his ring to the right hand about a year ago. I haven't yet. I'm so stubborn. I wear everything on my left hand, and I'm left-handed. I cannot stand to wear a watch or any bracelet type deal on my right wrist ( the only exception is a prayer bracelet). I've worn some small rings on my right hand, but I've never switched my wedding ring to my right. Man, I am soooo not good at change. I'm comfortable wearing it as is. At least I'm wearing one!!

 

[Kolya]

Seraphima and I were married in the Baptist Church originally, so we wore our rings on the left hand.

Once we were Chrismated, we were "crowned" as well, so we resized the rings to fit on the right hand and I wear mine on the right hand. 'S' wears her wedding band on the right, though in truth, she has rings for every finger of both hands that she wears as the mood takes her.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

At our wedding, our rings were placed on our left hands. Our priest didn't tell us we should wear them on our right hands, so we've always worn them on our left hands, but we learned years later about wearing rings on the right hand. My husband switched to wearing his ring to the right hand about a year ago. I haven't yet. I'm so stubborn. I wear everything on my left hand, and I'm left-handed. I cannot stand to wear a watch or any bracelet type deal on my right wrist ( the only exception is a prayer bracelet). I've worn some small rings on my right hand, but I've never switched my wedding ring to my right. Man, I am soooo not good at change. I'm comfortable wearing it as is. At least I'm wearing one!!

This just goes to show that you're not really Orthodox.... sorry to inform you.

(j/k)

But seriously, there are a lot of Orthodox who where it on their left hand and sometimes it is more than just for personal reasons. I wanted to wear my on my right hand because I never thought about rings and the like so I thought it would just make sense to follow the Church's tradition. However, my wife said she was going to wear hers on her left hand becuase she wanted people to know she was married. I thought about it and decided I wanted to make sure people (strangers and acquaintances) to know I was married and not just wearing a ring.

I kept it on my right hand for a few days but later changed it because I felt like, for me, the ring was not only to be a reminder to me of my marriage but an announcement to the public that I am married. The Right hand wouldn't have done that... at least not in the midwest.

In the end, as I think people may have regarded from this thread, most priests don't care. I was surprised to hear that many priests put it on the left hand without (so it seemed) asking the couple. It doesn't concern me, but personally I would really want my priest to put it on the right hand since so many of the wedding prayers refer to the right hand.

Oh well. Doesn't matter.

Xpy

 

[Nichole]

OK.........next question then regarding rings. Do any of the wives wear their engagement ring (for those who have one) with the wedding band on the right hand also?

 

[ikonographics]

Theologically speaking the "right hand" is symbolic of equality. Christ is seated at the "right hand of the Father" meaning that he is equal in honour to the Father. So by wearing the wedding band on the right hand, which is where the service books say it should be placed, it signifies that husband and wife are equal in honour.

 

[Peter]

I wear mine on a chain around my neck. Much better symbolism, that, yes?

 

[Xpycoctomos]

Theologically speaking the "right hand" is symbolic of equality. Christ is seated at the "right hand of the Father" meaning that he is equal in honour to the Father. So by wearing the wedding band on the right hand, which is where the service books say it should be placed, it signifies that husband and wife are equal in honour.

I believe my wife is far inferior to me. I mean, she's a woman. I'm a man. Need I say more? Equality? What is this craziness we talk about!

Anyway, that's why I wear my ring on my left hand... and, being the man, I forced her to wear hers on her left at all. I didn't want any of these new-fangled feminist ideas getting into her little enfeebled woman-mind.

Xpy

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I wear mine on a chain around my neck. Much better symbolism, that, yes?

Heretic.