Why is the wedding ring put on the third finger of the left hand?
The ancients believed that a special vein, which they called a "vena amoris" or vein of love, ran from the finger directly to the heart. By putting on a fitted ring, the affections were bound in and could never flow out the finger tips. Also, this finger - although not the smallest on the hand - is the weakest and most dependent on the others for help in lifting and holding. It seemed to symbolize the young wife supported by the strength of her husband. The ring finger has sometimes been on the left hand, sometimes on the right hand, according to country and custom. Among English-speaking persons, it has been on the left since the edict of Edward VI in 1549.
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