Engagement ring on right hand

Getting an engagement ring is not just any purchase. It is a piece of jewelry full of love, joy and care. The ring can look many different ways and it is important that it suits the wearer's taste and personality. In the Western world, the engagement ring symbolizes a promise of a beautiful and rewarding future together, and is usually worn on the right hand. But why is that so? And why do Swedes wear it on their left hand instead?

An old tradition

The tradition of wearing the engagement ring on the right hand goes back to ancient notions of what a marriage means. In the past, it was common for a marriage to be more of a business deal than a romantic event, and it was a way of uniting families and properties. Entire nations could be united through marriage, and so love and sentiment were considered secondary. If the couple liked each other, it was of course fortunate, but not necessary. In that context, the right hand was always considered the appropriate one as it symbolized credibility and honesty, while the left hand was viewed with suspicion. Many believed that the left hand was associated with the powers of darkness, and the Latin word for left was sinistram, which is a loanword in the Swedish "sinister" which means ominous, dark and uncanny. Shaking hands at a business settlement therefore always took place with the right hand, and if one entered a house or a boat for the first time, one did so with the right foot. So it was natural that the engagement ring should sit on the right hand and thus represent a credible promise. Today, that tradition continues in countries such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Austria and Switzerland.

Therefore, Swedes prefer the engagement ring on the left hand

Even today, it is most common to wear the engagement ring on the right hand, but there are exceptions. In Sweden it has been worn on the left hand for a long time, and also in the United States and Great Britain. According to an ancient belief that can be traced back to ancient Egypt, a "vein of love" runs from the left ring finger to the heart, and thus the left hand was preferred for engagement rings. There was much debate about this in the Middle Ages, as many considered it a pagan tradition that did not belong in Christian culture. Over time, the differences evened out, but it is still the left hand that applies in Sweden. Even here, however, there are exceptions. If a person is left-handed, he may sometimes choose to wear his engagement ring on the right hand instead for purely practical reasons, so that it is not in the way when various chores have to be carried out.

Engagement rings that change hands

In some cultures, it is customary to change the hand that the engagement ring is on after marriage. In this way, the wearer shows that he has passed from the vow stage to the actual fulfillment of said vow, and is a cultural signal that shows the person's social status. Sometimes the practice regarding the placement of the engagement ring and the wedding ring in relation to each other also varies - in Sweden, for example, it is most common that they are worn together. Another exception is the Netherlands, where, according to old custom, one wears the engagement ring on the right hand if one is Protestant and the left hand if one is Catholic.