Men's Wedding Rings - Where did they come from?

It seems you see them on the majority of men's finger - the wedding ring. But it hasn't always been so, it is a recent (since the Second World War) trend in Western cultures. Although even in Western cultures, the practice is not entirely accepted. And some cultures - perhaps most of the different cultures in the world - do not wear a wedding ring at all.

Historically, it has been traditional for a woman to wear a wedding ring as a sign that she is 'owned' or is part of a man's belongings. Thankfully, this attitude has or is changing in most parts of the world. Today a woman's wedding ring is a sign of the mutual love and admiration she has with her partner in life. And so too, it is for the man who wears a wedding ring.

For some men, I suppose, the wearing of the wedding ring is like wearing any other piece of jewelry whether if be a chain around their neck, a stud for their ear or a heavy metal bracelet. If they don't wear a wedding ring, it does not mean they are any less in love with their partner.

For other men, they do not wear a ring because they either find it too heavy and too uncomfortable or it chaffs. A simple solution though is to buy a cheap wedding band and wear it until he gets used to it.

It seems however, that some men these days refuse to wear a wedding ring because they do not want to publicly acknowledge that they are married. Of course there may be a more simple reason such as work related reason - perhaps their finger could be caught in machinery. In this case they should be wearing a ring.

Some have suggested that this recent tradition of exchanging rings is because, as a society, we are more affluent and now are more able to afford the cost of two rings - or three rings including the very common engagement ring. However, it is unlikely that is the only reason men have started wearing men's wedding rings.

It was during the Second World War that men began to wear a wedding ring as a way of reminding themselves of their wife who was waiting for them back home during their extended separation. The practice became even more popular during the Korean War in the early 1950s. Today, wearing men's wedding rings have change so that they are worn with no military connotation.

Interestingly, in certain Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Italy, men are sometimes given puzzle wedding rings when they get married. These are specially made rings that consist of interlocking metal bands that must be arrange in a specific order to be placed on the finger or taken off the finger. The interlocking rings form a single band that can be quite difficult to take off in a hurry.

And why is the ring placed on the third finger of the left hand (not counting the thumb) ? Originally, it was thought that a major artery led from that finger straight to the heart. In that way, the energy symbolized by the never ending circle of the ring goes straight to the wearer's heart, carrying the love and care throughout the person.