Why do we use the third finger of the left hand?
But even in these days of cardiothoracic science, it's not easy to put a ring around the heart. So in the old days they had a simple answer: they put the ring on the third finger which they believed had a vein, artery or nerve (a sort of a USB cable) running directly to the heart. And as the left hand is a bit closer to the heart than the right, they placed marriage rings on the third finger of the left hand5.
Christian significance of the ring
If the ring has pagan, magical properties, then why does it form such an important part of a Christian wedding ceremony? Does the wedding ring have any religious significance?
Not much.
Like many other pagan symbols, the ring has been adopted into Christian ceremonies and rites. There is no Biblical reference decreeing the wedding ring as a requirement. See
Monday, August 16, 2010
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