The exchange of rings is an old wedding tradition. Of course, over the past millennia, some details may have changed, but the meaning of this ceremony remained the same.
Instructions
Step 1
Initially, this custom originated in Ancient Egypt, there was a belief that the heart is directly connected by special energy lines with the ring finger of the left hand. So the ring put on this finger, as it were, closes the spouses' feeling to each other. It is believed that it was from Ancient Egypt that the tradition of wearing wedding rings on the ring fingers went.
Step 2
Among the Jews, the groom handed the bride a coin as a guarantee that he was ready to take over all the financial affairs and concerns of the future wife, we can say that he ransomed her from the family in this way. Over time, the coin turned into a ring, but the symbol of the ceremony remained the same.
Step 3
The Romans gave their wives special signet rings, this symbolized that a woman, on an equal footing with her husband, is allowed to manage the household and takes on part of the household duties. Before the wedding, the Roman groom would give his bride's parents a plain plain metal ring. It symbolized the groom's willingness to take on certain obligations and the ability to support the bride. The upper classes wore gold rings, ordinary townspeople - silver, and the slaves were content with iron. It should be noted that in Rome the engagement ceremony was the most important step, the wedding feast simply completed a successful engagement, everything important happened precisely during the exchange of rings. At the same time, only when Christianity came to Rome, brides and grooms began to exchange rings directly during the wedding.
Step 4
Rings in their closed, perfect form symbolize infinity, fidelity, continuity. Perhaps that is why they have become a symbol of marriage. During the Renaissance, and then already in the nineteenth century, lovers wove rings for each other from strands of hair, making priceless gifts to each other. In the nineteenth century, such jewelry was made using precious metals, which gave them durability.
Step 5
In the modern world, wedding rings symbolize vows that spouses make to each other. They remain a visible reminder of the promises people make at the altar. In Europe, girls wear two rings. The first is an engagement ring with a precious stone, which indicates to others that her heart is busy, it is worn on the ring finger of the left hand (which, according to the ancient Egyptians, is connected to the heart by a love vein), the second is an unadorned wedding ring, which the groom puts on his right ring finger brides during the wedding ceremony of exchange of rings.
