Wedding rings

[Petronius]

At what hand do you traditionally bear the wedding rings ?
I noticed different tradions going thru Catholics and Orthodox (protetsnats and other cult would probably follow the background of environment).
In former USSR and Poland, the wedding ring is born at the right hand.
Probably in all other European countries it is born at the left hand, but not 100% sure about Greece and Bulgaria...

 

[Annoula]

hm... am not married, but i think engaged wear it on the right hand, and married on the left hand.

i don't like rings and jewlery in general so i think i will have a problem if i ever marry!!!!
heheeeehehee

 

[Oblio]

Alexandra and I wear ours on the right which is the Russian tradition. The Betrothal ceremony specifically places them on the right. One of the reasons is that Biblically, the right side, is the side of honor. We were told that if we wanted to, we could switch them after the ceremony.

 

[Oblio]

Another interesting point is that the rings are swapped between the couple three times by the best man, in the name of the Holy Trinity. In that way each ends up wearing the others ring at the completion.

 

[Petronius]

Another interesting point is that the rings are swapped between the couple three times by the best man, in the name of the Holy Trinity. In that way each ends up wearing the others ring at the completion.

It means that, first time, one get the other's ring so after swapping 3x remain with own ring. "Own" is ment actally from a dimensional point of view, because in overhwhelming cases, man and woman have different fingers diameters, where the women's is thinner

 

[Oblio]

"Own" is ment actally from a dimensional point of view, because in overhwhelming cases, man and woman have different fingers diameters, where the women's is thinner

Correct. Fr. explained that the thinner ring on my finger at the start of the swap was 'mine' (though dimensionally hers) and she would end up wearing it.

 

[repentant]

Orthodox tradition is for the Priest to place the ring on the right hand. When you are married this is what happens. Now depending on the couple and where they live, like in America some couples after the ceremony put them on the left just because of the American custom, and it would identify you as married more so than the right hand. But most Orthodox couples I know, leave it on their right.

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

Well, in our marriage (in Romania), I started the betrothal ceremony with my wife's wedding band on my right hand and ended up with mine on my left (the priest passed the rings from one person to the other and from right hand to left hand). That appears to be the norm for Romanian Orthodox and I've rarely seen a Romanian with a wedding band on their right hand, though I was also told that it doesn't really matter either way. My wife and I and, so far as I know, everyone ion our parish, incuding the Priest, wear our wedding bands on our left hands.

James

 

[Oblio]

That appears to be the norm for Romanian Orthodox and I've rarely seen a Romanian with a wedding band on their right hand, though I was also told that it doesn't really matter either way. My wife and I and, so far as I know, everyone ion our parish, incuding the Priest, wear our wedding bands on our left hands.

True, it is just a tradition and does not really 'matter'. We both like the symbolism and for me at least it reminds me of my faith (by being different). It also leads on occasion as a opening to talk about Orthodoxy when people ask why our bands are on the right.

 

[ufonium2]

In the area where I grew up (rural Appalachia) old men didn't wear--or even own--wedding rings. My grandpa has never had one. So I'm wondering if there are other parts of the world where only women traditionally wear wedding rings.

 

[choirfiend]

Wedding bands were worn on the left because of custom that there was a vein in that finger which ran straight to the heart. Orthodox in general place the ring on the right. Read the wedding service and you'll see all the references to the ring on the right hand of whomever, OT saints mostly. We cross ourselves with our right hands, and we wear the rings on the right hand. No biggie if you dont, but I prefer the right hand as is placed by the priest.

 

[Tsarina]

At what hand do you traditionally bear the wedding rings ?
I noticed different tradions going thru Catholics and Orthodox (protetsnats and other cult would probably follow the background of environment).
In former USSR and Poland, the wedding ring is born at the right hand.
Probably in all other European countries it is born at the left hand, but not 100% sure about Greece and Bulgaria...

I remember some Greek waiter at a resturant telling me, that in Greece, people wear their wedding rings on the right hand.

 

[Khaleas]

I wore my engagement ring on the left hand, but at the wedding after I got my wedding ring on my right I switched the engagement ring over to my right. Father said we could pick what hand we want to keep them on. Kevin was very happy with right since his Academy ring is fitted (seal sides facing in particular directions etc) for his left.

Funny thing was I had a very hard time getting used to wearing my ring on the left hand, but when I had them on my right hand I've had no problems at all. I barely notice them now and only take them off when I clean the house, work out, do dishes and shower.

We ended up with our own rings at the betrothal.

 

[Wiffey]

We're GOA, and at our wedding the rings ended up on our right hands. So that is where they stay. That is also the custom in Greece. A lot of Greek-Americans do move the rings to the left hand after the ceremony, though. I'd say about 90% of young marrieds at our parish wear the rings on the left.

 

[Maximus]

My wife and I were first married at ZAGS in Moscow, because the Russian Federation requires a civil service in order for a couple to get married. Only afterwards were we able to get married in the Church.

We wear our rings on the right hand.

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

Wedding bands were worn on the left because of custom that there was a vein in that finger which ran straight to the heart. Orthodox in general place the ring on the right. Read the wedding service and you'll see all the references to the ring on the right hand of whomever, OT saints mostly. We cross ourselves with our right hands, and we wear the rings on the right hand. No biggie if you dont, but I prefer the right hand as is placed by the priest.

Well, I wear my ring where the priest placed it also, it's just that that's on the left hand. That's normal in Romanian Orthodox weddings. We start the service with the ring that's destined for the spouse on the right hand and the priest takes it from us and places it on our spouse's left hand. It's just a little 't' tradition to wear it on the right in some, notably Russian, but not all churches. There are many other minor differences in weddings from church to church - the Greeks wear floral crowns, the Russians have metal crowns held above their heads and the Romanians are in between, wearing metal crowns on their heads. These are all just minor differences in local customs that have absolutely no real significance. If wearing a wedding band on the right becomes a talking point then fine. My band also often becomes a talking point because it's a Romanian ring of rose gold with an incised pattern - you don't see such things here in Britain. More often, though, the way people find out I'm Orthodox is when they invite me for lunch or a drink during one of the fasts. Some of them have been interested, but I've yet to actually convince anyone to come to the Liturgy with me except out of pure curiosity, so I see the talking point idea as being of very minor importance.

James

 

[Oblio]

the Greeks wear floral crowns, the Russians have metal crowns held above their heads

We used the Greek crowns so we could afford to keep them and put them in our wedding/icon box along with our candles.

 

[Ioan cel Nou]

We used the Greek crowns so we could afford to keep them and put them in our wedding/icon box along with our candles.

Romanians don't normally keep the crowns, they belong to the church. However, my godmother married a Greek Cypriot in Sibiu. Their tradition is that they are buried with their wedding crowns so as a compromise they had both the floral crowns and the metal ones and kept the floral ones afterwards. The floral crowns were wrapped around the metal ones - it makes for strange but interesting wedding photos!

James

 

[WhatIsTruth]

Could some one possible give me a link so I could read the Orthodox Wedding Service and some other things so I could read up more on the significance on the ring on the right hand?

I mainly would like to read a Orthodox Wedding Service and if anyone could help me with biblical points so that I could read up on the right side significance I would appreciate it alot.

Thanks a bunch!

In Christ,
Erica

 

[Oblio]

Romanians don't normally keep the crowns, they belong to the church. However, my godmother married a Greek Cypriot in Sibiu. Their tradition is that they are buried with their wedding crowns so as a compromise they had both the floral crowns and the metal ones and kept the floral ones afterwards. The floral crowns were wrapped around the metal ones - it makes for strange but interesting wedding photos!

James

I think it is the same with Russians, or at least most do not keep them because of the cost to buy them is so high, therefore they are purchased by the church for multiple uses. Our parish offered to buy a set of metal crowns, but we liked the Greek (and we have several Greeks at our OCA parish) tradition of keeping the crowns, and we received a blessing to purchase the less expensive floral crowns and keep them.