The Origin of Engagement Rings Is Explained So You Know Exactly Who To Blame For Your Visa Debt
There are many stories about how the tradition of giving an engagement ring to one's beloved, came to be. Here are a few.
The orgin of engagement rings is somewhat unclear so I'll share a few of the most common stories with youAncient Egyptians loved their jewelry. They believed that a special love vein ran from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart....where the engagement ring continues to be placed today. Another reason for the significance of the 4th finger is that in midevil times, the presiding ceremonial priest or groom would place the engagement ring on the first three fingers when saying "the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost", finishing on the fourth finger where it would then stay.
The Romans wore "betrothal" rings made of iron. Over time, these rings started to be made of gold and embellished. Some early rings also had a carved key to symbolize how a woman could unlock her lover's heart. Another theory suggests that the engagement ring served as a "slave band" in the Roman Republic to indicate that the woman was the man's chattel and belonged exclusively to him.
If you're looking for some specific dudes to single out, look no further. In 860 Pope Nicolas I announced that a ring was a requirement to signify engagement and it was also stipulated that it should be a gold ring - this indicated the financial commitment being made by the groom. Some sources say the origin of engagement rings dates back to 1477 when the Archduke Maximillian of Austria bought his beloved Mary of Burgundy some serious bling.
Consider yourself lucky (or unlucky) depending on your perspective. In Brazil, Sweden, and Germany , both the man and the woman wear engagement rings.
And some men wish they could go back in time to the days of cavemen. The cavemen tied strands of grass around the ankle of their cavechick to claim their respective piece of meat. This was uncomfortable for the cavechick and was ultimately adjusted so that the grass strands were tied around her finger versus her ankle.
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