Engagement ring and wedding ring on the RIGHT hand?

Question

The other day, on the NYC subway, I saw a woman with a silver engagement ring and wedding ring on her RIGHT hand. What does this mean?

She had all her fingers on both hands and it looked like her left hand was as healthy as her right hand

The lady was White - I didn't hear her speak so I couldn't tell if she was American or from Europe.

Answer 1

During some periods in the past, the ring was worn on the right hand; a practice that continues to this day in some cultures, since the right hand is considered more righteous.

http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/rings.html


In some parts of the world, it is worn on the right ring finger (e.g. Bulgaria, Norway, Germany, Poland or Russia).

In some countries such as Germany, India, Venezuela and Chile, however, it is worn on the right hand. Also in Spain it is worn right, except by Catalan people (left). Orthodox Christians, Eastern Europeans and Jews also traditionally wear the wedding band on the right hand. In The Netherlands, Catholic people wear it left, all others right. But in Austria Catholic people wear it right. Greek people, many being Orthodox Christians, also wear the wedding rings on the right hand in keeping with Greek tradition. A traditional reason to wear the wedding ring on the right hand stems from Roman custom. The Latin word for left is "sinistra", a word that evolved into the English "sinister". The Latin word for right is "dexter", a word that evolved into "dexterity". Hence, the left hand had a negative connotation and the right a good one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_ring


I also found another website about reasons some people just like right hand rings.

http://gilletts.com.au/information.php?info_id=48

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Well, I hope that helped and you don't have to be so curious anymore. : }

Answer 2

I wear my rings on the right hand - live in Canada, not that that has anything to do with it....
My husband is from Eastern Europe, and when we were getting married, he asked that I follow their tradition of wearing the rings on the right hand. So I have, and so do other spouses who have immigrated from his country here. Interestingly, when my mom got married in 1945, in a similar ethnicity, the rings were put on the right hand. She switched to the left hand because "everyone else" wore them there.
I don't feel out of place or anything, because there are many from his ethnicity in our family, obviously, and friends. Otherwise, sometimes people ask me, but not usually. It's interesting wearing them on the right, because I am right handed, so you get to flash them around a lot more.

Answer 3

I don't know if this applies to the woman you saw, but most Muslims in the US wear their wedding and engagement rings on the opposite hand rather than the traditional left one.

Answer 4

She may not be American. Other countries have different customs about which hand to wear the wedding rings on. Some don't even wear rings at all.

Answer 5

I would be more inclined to think it is a family heriloom of some sort ie, belonged to a mother or grandmother.

I remember when my grnadfather died, my grandmother never switched the hand she wore her wedding set on. It stayed on her left hand until the day she died. Now I believe my mom has the set.

However, like others have said, if she is from another country (like Germany) that could explain it as well.

Answer 6

In many cultures (vietnam, china, etc) the wedding finger is on the right hand. It's the american culture that moved it to the left hand.

Answer 7

many other cultures wear the wedding bands on their right hands. A good friend of mine is from Holland and when I met her parents, they had their wedding rings on their right hands. It is just a cultural difference.

Answer 8

I know for a fact that Germans put their rings on the right hand

Answer 9

Could mean she is divorced. She probably likes the wedding set and wants to wear it, so she wears it on her right hand instead.

Answer 10

in the orthodox religion during the wedding when rings are exchanged they are put onto the right hand,signifying the right hand of god,alot of ladies choose to leave them that way since it was done in the eyes of god..i know in my faith it is mainly the older ladies who keep this custom,but if you went to greece alot of ladies there wear their rings that way