The tradition of wearing Orthodox wedding rings dates back to ancient times. Wedding rings are not only a traditional attribute of marriage, but also a symbol of eternal love, mutual understanding, fidelity and constancy in the unity of two people. And they also demonstrate to others that from now on, two people in love not only belong to each other, but also invisible thread connects loving hearts, which prevents them from being lost after earthly life. This symbol of eternal love, newlyweds acquire on the day of their marriage. Orthodox rings are often given special protective prayers.
The modern church has softened its rules and allowed wearing traditional Orthodox wedding rings for those who marry without a church wedding. But if the priest conducts the ritual, then the Orthodox ring must be worn on the hand on the finger of which it was worn.
Without departing from ancient traditions, all these accessories are made of precious metals. But they can be decorated with stones, engraved words from prayer, pledges of allegiance, names and just cut intricate ornaments.
History
Before the Christian period, the tradition was adopted before the wedding of the groom to give the bride the key to their joint home. Such a gesture symbolized the union of two people and the trust to housekeeping, which until then belonged to a man, a woman - as the guardian of the hearth.
Orthodox wedding rings entered the ritual of marriage almost a millennium ago. Previously, Christian laws permitted the use of only rings that did not have additional stones, but were simple and modest.
Orthodox and Catholic Christians wear rings on different hands. Catholics are on the left, Christians are on the right.
In ancient Russia, until the middle of the last millennium, the bride and groom wore two different rings during the marriage: the bridegroom wore iron, and the bride wore gold. It symbolized the reliability and loyalty of the spouse. However, after some time, the traditions changed, and already both future spouses wore gold rings.
On which finger do the Orthodox wear an engagement ring?
According to Christian traditions, two types of Orthodox rings were used in pre-revolutionary Russia. The first - the engagement - the groom presented his beloved immediately after the announcement of the engagement. He put his bride on the ring finger on his right hand. Then the ring showed everyone around the firmness and sincerity of the intentions of the two young people to marry. Just before the wedding, the bride took off her first ring, and at the event the groom put on the second one - the wedding ring. It was put on the same finger, and after it the first engagement ring.
The tradition of exchanging wedding rings existed before the Christian period. The first rings were woven from reeds and other plants as a symbol of love and fidelity. And in the Middle Ages, the first who began to decorate wedding rings with precious stones and even diamonds were Italians.
The first famous physicians of ancient Greece claimed that the ring finger is a direct conductor to the human heart. And the round shape of the ring is a symbol of eternal love, which has no beginning or end.
How to choose a ring?
The first to marry Christians was the apostle Paul. He explained the rules to future spouses, according to which you need to choose Orthodox wedding rings. It should be made of gold for the groom, and silver for the bride. Since according to the Orthodox canons, gold represents divine glory, and silver is a symbol of purity in thoughts and an image of heavenly grace. This rule was very serious, absolutely all those who were married should adhere to it, and the retreat from it was unforgivable for the young.
Orthodox wedding rings, traditionally, most of the time were made in a simple style, without stones and other ornaments. Such a performance was justified, because when performing work, excessive jewelry could only interfere.
With the same severity, Orthodox traditions also applied to engraving on wedding rings. If the newlyweds nevertheless decided to make inscriptions, then these could be words or quotes from the Bible, as well as the main words “Save and Save.” Dates, names of spouses are usually not engraved.
The obligatory ritual before the wedding was the illumination of the wedding rings by the clergyman. Without this mandatory action, the marriage ceremony itself could be considered not held.
Where could I buy?
In the modern world, Orthodox wedding rings can be bought in any store specializing in jewelry, as well as in shops located on the territory of the church. In these places, products are consecrated by the clergyman himself. It is believed that the product then acquires protective properties.
Do not forget that now it’s not the most important thing, what kind of metal the engagement ring is made of, whether there are precious or semiprecious stones on it, whether engraving or a complex drawing is made - the main meaning of the Orthodox rings: the eternal and devoted love of two people, mutual respect and willingness to be near in any circumstances.
On which hand do the Orthodox wear an engagement ring? Traditionally, wedding rings are put on the ring finger of the right hand. This is due to the fact that the Orthodox person is baptized with his right hand, performing an action from right to left, and the angel stands to the right of the believer (also with the right hand a person does good deeds).
Only after the death of the spouse is it allowed to wear the ring on the other hand until a second marriage occurs.
Orthodox wedding rings in silver
The metal, which is currently the most common in the manufacture of jewelry, including wedding rings, is silver. It has always been considered a symbol reflecting purity, innocence and chastity. Especially women were recommended to wear precisely rings of silver.
As a rule, silver is coated with a special protective layer that does not allow it to oxidize. A thin oxide layer is well suited for this. But still, after some time, silverware may darken slightly. No need to immediately attribute this to a bad omen. This is a common occurrence. The surface of a silver product is sometimes worth cleaning with soda. It is also believed that silver favorably affects the energy of the person wearing it.
Often among silver wedding rings, there are models with artificial blackening. They look like jewelry worn by past generations. As a rule, engraving is most often done on silver rings.
Gold rings
Since ancient times, the golden ring among many nations meant the sun, as a symbol of light and joy of life. This can be found in legends and songs. And in Orthodoxy, gold represents the glory of Christ.
An Orthodox gold wedding ring is especially popular. After all, it will last a long time, and will always look noble and gentle. If you give preference to white gold, then such wedding rings can be supplemented with small pebbles. White gold perfectly imitates silver products.
This metal also has a variety in color when it has a shade of pinkish or more yellow. This will help to give the engagement ring an original look.
Paired rings
Many lovers are more supportive of models that look identical in appearance, but differ only in size.
Paired Orthodox wedding rings personify the complete unity of the spouses. In this design, they are an exact copy of each other with a difference only in size. There is an option when paired jewelry is not identical to each other, but differs only in elements that are invisible to the ordinary eye.
Double rings are very popular, and this can be explained by the fact that they are perceived as an addition to two loving people entering into marriage, as an alternative to the oath to be always together at any difficult time.
Is it obligatory to wear?
Do Orthodox wedding rings necessarily wear? It is considered a sin for believing spouses not to get married and not to adhere to the basic Christian traditions associated with visiting the church and observing church holidays.
Wedding rings, on the scale of a lifetime, are not so significant, therefore one should not betray special significance to wearing them, unless the meaning of rejecting it is an underlying desire to have freedom from marriage.
There is an opinion among the people that if you want to keep happiness in marriage for a long time, then you should carefully treat wedding accessories. And first of all, this applies to wedding rings, which do not need to be removed from oneself without special need.
There is a sign that perfectly shows why Orthodox wedding rings with a smooth surface are most often worn. Such a surface, not encountering obstacles in its path, reflects a life without troubles and disagreements. And those newlyweds who are jointly engaged in the selection of rings will certainly be successful in business. It is also worth paying attention to another folk wisdom that says that it is better to buy wedding rings in one place, then the couple will not have long partings.