It’s been probably 2 decades since I’ve attended a Catholic wedding. It’s definitely the first for me, since I’ve been married. Looking at the order of the mass with renewed eyes, I’ve noticed a few truly lovely details – one of which is the symbolism in the exchange of rings.
My heartfelt love and congratulations, Kevin and Hannah! xx
Finding The Happy 
2 December 2012 at 2:49 am
I’ve never heard of people doing that before. I always love the different myths on why we put it on the ring finger and the actual reasons as well but this one is my favorite
According to ancient Chinese philosophy:
• The thumb represents your parents
• The index finger represents your siblings
• The middle finger represents yourself
• The ring finger represents your life partner
• The little finger represents children
If you close your hands, with all your fingers tip-to-tip except the middle fingers, which you bend inside you will be able to:
• Open your thumbs: your parents are not destined to live with you forever.
• Open your index fingers: your siblings are going to leave you to have their own life and family.
• Open your little fingers: your children will also settle someday with a family of their own.
• Finally, try to separate your ring finger. You can’t do it, since as husband and wife, you are destined to be together forever.
there’s actually a scientific reasoning behind it but i always liked this view and it is kind of a cool trick
2 December 2012 at 1:10 pm
Oooh! I had forgotten all about the symbolism in Chinese culture. I think I was told about this a long, looong time ago… but you’re right. I think a lot of “modern” Chinese – like myself – have forgotten all about this, and tend to adopt the Western way of wearing rings (i.e. on the left hand instead of the right.)
It’s beautiful symbolism. Makes you wonder who first sat there, tucked their middle finger in, and waggled all their fingers in turn until they came up with the idea of what it could mean for marriage. :)
Thanks for such a handy reminder! (har har!)
2 December 2012 at 1:31 pm
lol… it does make you wonder about such things but I like it and even if it all isn’t a 100% accurate… like the theory that the ring finger is the only finger that has a vein going directly to the heart(it does but all the fingers do) i think they’re happy thoughts and it makes more special… it’s not just a finger someone picked to wear it on… it’s something with meaning…