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[[Image:Weddingring.JPG|thumb|A [[white gold]] wedding ring.]] |
[[Image:Weddingring.JPG|thumb|A [[white gold]] wedding ring.]] |
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A '''wedding ring''' or '''wedding band''' is a [[finger ring]], often made of [[metal]], indicating that its wearer is [[marriage|married]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wedding-ring|title= Wedding Ring |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2016 |website= Harper Collins Dictionary (dictionary.com) |publisher=Harper Collins & Son |access-date=8 Sep 2016 |quote=}}</ref> Depending on the culture, the ring is typically worn on the base of the left or the right [[ring finger]]. |
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The earliest examples of wedding rings were found in [[ancient Egypt]]. The Western traditions of wedding rings can be traced back to [[ancient Rome]] and [[Ancient Greece|Greece]] and adopted by [[Christendom]] in [[Europe]] in the [[Middle Ages]]. |
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⚫ | A wedding ring can come in many forms, traditionally made of gold or some other precious metal.<ref name="ring material">{{cite web |url=http://www.weddingrings.co |title=Guide to Wedding Ring Styles, Designs & Prices |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=The Wedding Rings |publisher=Polished Diamonds Ltd |accessdate=}}</ref> Many people wear their wedding rings day and night, causing an indentation in the skin that remains visible even when the ring is taken off. Another indication of their cultural importance is that wedding rings are among the few items permitted to be worn by [[prison]] inmates and visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/corrections/0,4551,7-119-9741_12798-228401--,00.html|publisher=Michigan Department of Corrections |title=Marriage - Marrying a Prisoner}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Corrections |title=Visitor Dress Code |url=http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/doc/visitors-dress-code.html}}</ref> |
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===Origins=== |
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It is widely believed that the first examples of wedding rings were found in [[ancient Egypt]]. [[Relic]]s dating back as far as 6,000 years ago, including [[papyrus]] scrolls, show us evidence of braided rings of [[hemp]] or [[Reed (plant)|reeds]] being exchanged among a wedded couple. Egypt viewed the circle as a symbol of eternity, and the ring served to signify the never-ending love between the couple. This was also the origin of the practice of wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand, which the Egyptians believed to house a special [[vein]] that was connected directly to the heart,<ref name="Some Tradition About Rings">{{cite journal|last1=Hort|first1=G.M.|title=Some Tradition About Rings|journal=The Irish Monthly|date=1919|volume=47|pages=650, 654}}</ref> otherwise also known as [[Vena amoris]]. |
It is widely believed that the first examples of wedding rings were found in [[ancient Egypt]]. [[Relic]]s dating back as far as 6,000 years ago, including [[papyrus]] scrolls, show us evidence of braided rings of [[hemp]] or [[Reed (plant)|reeds]] being exchanged among a wedded couple. Egypt viewed the circle as a symbol of eternity, and the ring served to signify the never-ending love between the couple. This was also the origin of the practice of wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand, which the Egyptians believed to house a special [[vein]] that was connected directly to the heart,<ref name="Some Tradition About Rings">{{cite journal|last1=Hort|first1=G.M.|title=Some Tradition About Rings|journal=The Irish Monthly|date=1919|volume=47|pages=650, 654}}</ref> otherwise also known as [[Vena amoris]]. |
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⚫ | The Western traditions of wedding rings can be traced back to [[ancient Rome]] and [[Ancient Greece|Greece]] first associated with [[dowry]] and later with a pledge of [[fidelity]]. The modern exchange of rings originated in [[Europe]] in [[Middle Age]] as part of [[Christendom]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Oliver|first1=Juliet|title=Where Do Wedding Rings Come From?|url=http://www.julietoliver.com/blog/where-do-wedding-rings-come-from-/|accessdate=9 September 2014|date=4 September 2014}}</ref> In the United States, wedding rings were initially worn only by [[wife|wives]], but became customary for both [[husband]]s and wives during the 20th century.<ref name="Howard">{{cite journal |last1=Howard |first1=Vicki |year=2003 |title=A 'Real Man's Ring': Gender and the Invention of Tradition |journal=Journal of Social History |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=837–856 |doi=10.1353/jsh.2003.0098}}</ref> |
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===Historical ring styles=== |
===Historical ring styles=== |
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====Gimmel rings==== |
====Gimmel rings==== |
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[[File:Gimmal ring british museum.JPG|thumb|right|A Gimmal ring with the hoop opened]] |
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During the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands would bestow a [[gimmel ring]] upon their wives. Similar to the [[puzzle ring]], they consisted of two interlocking bands. The bride and groom would each wear one of these bands after their engagement, and the two bands would be reunited at the wedding ceremony. The wife would then wear the combined ring.<ref name="Some Tradition About Rings"/> |
During the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands would bestow a [[gimmel ring]] upon their wives. Similar to the [[puzzle ring]], they consisted of two interlocking bands. The bride and groom would each wear one of these bands after their engagement, and the two bands would be reunited at the wedding ceremony. The wife would then wear the combined ring.<ref name="Some Tradition About Rings"/> |
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==Compositions and styles== |
==Compositions and styles== |
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In Western countries, wedding rings are often made of rose, white or yellow [[colored gold|gold]], [[platinum]], [[palladium]] or, more recently, [[silicone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/car-accessories/news/a25180/qalo-wants-to-save-your-flesh-and-your-cash-with-these-medical-grade-silicone-rings/|title=I ditched my wedding ring for a silicone band|date=4 March 2015|work=[[Road & Track]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/3028629/rubber-wedding-bands-150000-annual-ring-avulsion-injuries-make-silicone-wedding-rings-more-popular/|title=Rubber Wedding Bands: 150,000 Annual Ring Avulsion Injuries Make Silicone Wedding Rings More Popular|work=[[The Inquisitr]]}}</ref> The perpetuity of [[noble metal]]s is thought to symbolize the steadfastness of the [[marriage]] bond. Common [[engraving]]s on the inside of the ring include the name of one's spouse, or of both spouses, and/or date of the wedding, and possibly a phrase of special meaning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shannonnicolesmith.com/western-wedding-rings/|title=Western Wedding Rings in the Western World|last=Smith|first=Shannon Nicole|work=Shannon Nicole Smith Blog}}</ref> In many countries the [[engagement ring]]s are plain while the bride's engagement ring typically has [[jewels]]. |
In Western countries, wedding rings are often made of rose, white or yellow [[colored gold|gold]], [[platinum]], [[palladium]] or, more recently, [[silicone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/car-accessories/news/a25180/qalo-wants-to-save-your-flesh-and-your-cash-with-these-medical-grade-silicone-rings/|title=I ditched my wedding ring for a silicone band|date=4 March 2015|work=[[Road & Track]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/3028629/rubber-wedding-bands-150000-annual-ring-avulsion-injuries-make-silicone-wedding-rings-more-popular/|title=Rubber Wedding Bands: 150,000 Annual Ring Avulsion Injuries Make Silicone Wedding Rings More Popular|work=[[The Inquisitr]]}}</ref> The perpetuity of [[noble metal]]s is thought to symbolize the steadfastness of the [[marriage]] bond. Common [[engraving]]s on the inside of the ring include the name of one's spouse, or of both spouses, and/or date of the wedding, and possibly a phrase of special meaning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shannonnicolesmith.com/western-wedding-rings/|title=Western Wedding Rings in the Western World|last=Smith|first=Shannon Nicole|work=Shannon Nicole Smith Blog}}</ref> In many countries the [[engagement ring]]s are plain while the bride's engagement ring typically has [[jewels]]. |
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According to some customs, the ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include the |
According to some customs, the ring forms the last in a series of gifts, which also may include the engagement ring, traditionally given as a [[betrothal]] present. This custom was practised in Ancient Rome and is possibly much older.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |quote="The Romans are also thought to have originated the custom of betrothal rings, or engagement rings, symbolizing a promise of marriage to a member of the opposite sex." |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Ring}}</ref> In modern [[egalitarian]] societies both parties often contribute to the purchase of engagement and wedding rings, choosing them together, as a modern woman is ever less of a dependent subject of the father to be handed over to dependency on a husband. In some countries the wedding ring is traditionally a gift from someone else to help a young couple.{{Citation needed|date=June 2015}} |
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==Religion== |
==Religion== |
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In several traditions, the [[best man]] or [[maid of honour]] has the duty of keeping track of a couple's wedding rings and to produce them at the symbolic moment of the giving and receiving of the rings during the traditional marriage ceremony. In more elaborate weddings, a [[Ringbearer|ring bearer]] (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, sometimes on a special cushion. |
In several traditions, the [[best man]] or [[maid of honour]] has the duty of keeping track of a couple's wedding rings and to produce them at the symbolic moment of the giving and receiving of the rings during the traditional marriage ceremony. In more elaborate weddings, a [[Ringbearer|ring bearer]] (who is often part of the family of the bride or groom) may assist in the ceremonial parading of the rings into the ceremony, sometimes on a special cushion. |
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Among [[Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Eastern Catholic]] Christians, the exchange of rings is not technically part of the wedding service, but rather are exchanged at the |
Among [[Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Eastern Catholic]] Christians, the exchange of rings is not technically part of the wedding service, but rather are exchanged at the betrothal. It is always a two-ring set given to her by the priest or by the best man.<ref name="Britannica" /> The orthodox Christian [[Church of Greece]] has recently stopped performing betrothal blessings separately, as these were often non-committing, and now a betrothal ceremony is the initial part of the wedding service. In many families an informal blessing is now performed by the betrothed ones' parents in a family dinner that formalizes the betrothal. The ceremony of betrothal is now possibly performed immediately before the wedding (or "crowning" as it is more properly called), and the actual symbolic act of marriage is not the exchange of rings, but the crowning. |
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Historically, the wedding ring was connected to the exchange of valuables at the moment of the wedding rather than a symbol of eternal love and devotion, a sign of "earnest money". According to the 1549 edition of the [[Book of Common Prayer]]: after the words 'with this ring I thee wed' follow the words 'This gold and silver I give thee', at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.<ref name=KunzRing>{{cite book | last = Kunz | first = George Frederick |authorlink=George Frederick Kunz| title = Rings for the Finger | publisher = J.B. Lippincott Co.| year = 1917 |url=http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/kunz-rings/page_289}}</ref> It is a relic of the times when marriage was a contract between families, not individual lovers. Both families were then eager to ensure the economic safety of the young couple. Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) |
Historically, the wedding ring was connected to the exchange of valuables at the moment of the wedding rather than a symbol of eternal love and devotion, a sign of "earnest money". According to the 1549 edition of the [[Book of Common Prayer]]: after the words 'with this ring I thee wed' follow the words 'This gold and silver I give thee', at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.<ref name=KunzRing>{{cite book | last = Kunz | first = George Frederick |authorlink=George Frederick Kunz| title = Rings for the Finger | publisher = J.B. Lippincott Co.| year = 1917 |url=http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/kunz-rings/page_289}}</ref> It is a relic of the times when marriage was a contract between families, not individual lovers. Both families were then eager to ensure the economic safety of the young couple. Sometimes it went as far as being a conditional exchange as this old (and today outdated) German formula shows: 'I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers'.<ref name = KunzRing/> |
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===Post-wedding customs=== |
===Post-wedding customs=== |
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===Wedding ceremonies that reference rings=== |
===Wedding ceremonies that reference rings=== |
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*[[Church of England]] (1662 [[Book of Common Prayer]]): "With this '''ring''' I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."<ref>{{cite book|author1=Church of England |last2=Keeling |first2=William B. D. (of Cambridge) |title=Liturgiae Britannicae: Or, the Several Editions of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, from Its Compilation to the Last Revision; Together with the Liturgy Set Forth for the Use of the Church of Scotland: Arranged to Shew Their Respective Variations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lUw4AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA299 |accessdate=24 March 2014 |year=1851 |publisher=William Pickering |page=299}}</ref> |
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*[[Jewish]]: "You are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel."—said in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] by the groom at an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] wedding and by both the bride and groom at a [[Reform Judaism|Reform Jewish]] wedding.<ref name=Blane>{{cite web|last1=Blane|first1=Steven|title=Jewish Wedding|url=http://www.jewishweddingtraditions.org/|website=Jewish Wedding Traditions|accessdate=3 December 2014}}</ref> |
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*[[Roman Catholic]]: "''N.'', take this '''ring''' as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."{{citation needed|date=December 2014}} |
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*[[Eastern Orthodox]]: In the [[Marriage in the Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Service of Betrothal]], the Priest makes the [[Sign of the Cross]] with rings over the bridegroom's head while saying three times "The servant of God (Groom) is betrothed to the handmaid of God (Bride), in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the [[Holy Spirit]]. Amen". This is then followed by another three times over the bride's head with the names reversed, after which the rings are exchanged three times (either by the priest or by the best man). The [[Priest]] asks God "to bless this putting on of '''rings''' with a heavenly blessing and that an Angel of the Lord will go before these Your servants, all the days of their life."<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia |title=The Sacrament of Marriage according to the Rites of The Greek Orthodox Church | url=http://www.greekorthodox.org.au/general/resources/servicebooklets/wedding | accessdate=11 March 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419152607/http://www.greekorthodox.org.au/general/resources/servicebooklets/wedding |archivedate=19 April 2013}}</ref> In [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] tradition the wedding ring is worn on the right hand rather than the left. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{Sister project links |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
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* {{Commons category-inline|Wedding rings}} |
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[[Category:Rings]] |
[[Category:Rings]] |