Why Wear the Wedding Ring on the Fourth Finger?

My husband always says I have a lot of "useless information" stored inside my head every time I blurt out some random answers, trivial facts or information. Important things I forget, trivial things I remember.  Go figure! Even my friends ask me (in amusement, I hope!) where I get those tidbits of info that I occasionally blurt out mid-conversation.  My answer is, I don't know! I really don't.  I like trivia.  I read up on what interests me, and maybe they just stay dormant in my memory until needed. =)

Anyway, here's another trivia I got from my Inbox and I thought it would be interesting enough to share here. Though I'm pretty sure many of you might have received this already, or have read it somewhere, feel free to skip this post and read more interesting wedding-related posts here.

I am re-posting the exact content of the email, and the image below. I don't know the origin of the text and photo so I cannot credit them to anyone.


Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?
There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese:

Your thumb represents your Parents


Your index finger represents your Siblings

Your middle finger represents yourself

Your ring finger represents your Life Partner


Your last (pinkie) finger represents your Children


Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together -- back to back. Then open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb tip to tip.  As shown in the below:

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing your parents) if they will open - because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong and have to leave you sooner or later. 


Please join your thumbs as before and separate your index fingers (representing your siblings) they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.

Now, join the index fingers and separate your little fingers (representing your children) they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own someday.

Finally, join your little fingers and try to separate your ring fingers (representing your spouse).

You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT, because husband and wife have to remain together all their lives -- through thick and thin!

(Anonymous source)

Gorgeous Cartier wedding bands - http://www.bridal.cartier.com/

I'm sure you're trying it as you read this. (",)  Were you able to separate the ring fingers? Do you believe this is a good explanation?

I've tried doing this several times in the past as a hand trick, without knowing there's a possible "meaning" behind it. I was able to separate my ring fingers just very slightly for a few seconds. Maybe because I dropped my elbows a bit. I can tell you it really is almost impossible to separate them unless to bring your wrists closer together that your fingers will naturally open up and separate easily.

Do you know another story behind the ring finger? Share your trivia here. =)

p.s. Thanks to reader Czjai for reminding me about the more rational reason behind the ring finger -- how could I forget this:  the ring finger is where the vein connects to the heart, ergo, the best finger for the wedding ring
I was simply amazed by the philosophical reason above :)))

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