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arequipapi t1_j6jujv5 wrote

Reply to comment by zorokash in The door handle to the restroom at work is marked by wedding rings. by BoardWithLife

Typically the left hand "ring finger" is reserved for a wedding band. People who wear rings for fun usually put them on other fngers

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zorokash t1_j6jw3k2 wrote

Hm. Maybe this is a Christian thing? Wedding bands arent really a thing with other religions or even non religious from other cultures. Also, most cultures use the right hand for ceremonial/inportang rings and left hand for other fancy stuff.

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CreditUnionBoi t1_j6k24fp wrote

It's more a "western culture thing" which is heavily influenced by Christian traditions thanks to Anglicans, Calvinists, Lutherans and Catholics who emigrated from Europe in the 18th and 19th century's.

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eclecticsed t1_j6krcvz wrote

Not sure why you're being downvoted. I don't think most people quibble over which finger to put a ring on, usually it seems to depend on which hand they're most comfortable bearing the minor changes in comfort, movement, and gestures that come along with it (things most people aren't even conscious of). Maybe older generations, but younger people seem to just throw rings on whatever finger fits or feels most comfortable. I've seen hundreds of ring-finger rings that weren't related to marital status.

Speaking from the experience of over a decade working in a jewelry store, anyway.

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HazycloudBlues t1_j6ks9ns wrote

I always figured it was like a watch and went on your non-dominant hand so it won't be damaged by wear and tear doing daily tasks. Ring finger is because it was thought the vein there was directly connected to the heart or some jazz.

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eclecticsed t1_j6ktlij wrote

Well that's the lore, but like a lot of traditions these things come and go, or they change over time. People forget them, or they have their own meanings. I mean diamonds aren't The Marriage Stone because of some deep connection we've had to them throughout human history, for instance. It was just marketing that shifted cultural perception. Things like colored stones and synthetic stones are also very popular now that in the past would have been seen as cheap (and for some people still are), even if the stone itself is actually more rare than a diamond. And then it's going to vary by where you live or what your specific cultural background is, or the way you were raised.

I'm not saying plenty of people don't still reserve the ring finger for marriage, of course. It's just that plenty of them will happily wear a ring there in lieu of an engagement or wedding ring if it fits and is comfortable. I myself can ONLY wear rings on that finger, any other finger gets in the way or is uncomfortable, and it's been that way since I was a kid. Typically it seems like most people won't assume a ring on that finger is an engagement or wedding ring unless it looks very obviously like something intended for that purpose. That's been my experience, anyway.

Though you never know. Sometimes the person who rocks up to the counter with a giant silver owl on that finger IS in fact using it to indicate they're taken.

Anyway I am definitely not arguing one side or the other here, I just think both sides are equally valid because it's such a personal preference thing these days.

edit: Also if this sounds really rushed or some part of it doesn't make sense, about halfway through it became much more important to keep a cat off a roast chicken.

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