A friend emailed this to me. I tried to research it and it led me to the first person to post it on their blog. So is it true that the Chinese believe this? I have no idea. But it does make you pause and think about it. It’s amazing how our bodies are made to function, isn’t it? Just like a marriage, parts working together to make a whole. So try it…
Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger? There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese…
The thumb represents your Parents. The second finger (index ) represents your siblings. The middle finger represents yourself. The fourth (ring) finger represents your Spouse. And the last (little) finger represents your children.
First, open your palms (face to face) and bend the middle fingers and hold them together – back to back.
Second, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb tip to tip (as shown in the figure below).
Now try to separate your thumbs. They will open because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong and you have to leave them sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers. They will also open because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will lead their own separate lives.
Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers. They will open too because the children will get married and settle down on their own someday.
Finally, join your Little fingers and try to separate your Ring fingers. You will be surprised to see that you just can’t do it, because Husband & Wife are to remain together all their lives – through thick and thin!
Wow. Awesome. Thanks for sharing this.
Living in Shanghai I’ve found that many Chinese don’t have any attachment to rings at all – it’s more a thing that they have adopted from foreigners (like me!), but I’m sorry to say that this myth is well and truly busted…
When they do wear a ring, some wear it on their left hand, others on their right, some on their middle finger, others on their ring finger… While some in America or Europe (I hope not Australia, but fear there too) still think that all Chinese do Tai Chi every morning, the reality is different.
I like the story and the example, but I think it’s more a convenient story that’s been superimposed on interesting biomechanics
It is SO good to have you back Daniel. I’m glad the Chinese firewall is down again and you can contribute to this discussion for awhile. Like I said in the post, I tried to check the source out and couldn’t really find anything to confirm the factuality of this “tradition”. Thanks for setting the record straight. I don’t know why I didn’t think to ask you about it in the first place.
I like the explanation, and it makes me interested in finding out more about our traditions with marriage/commitment and where they came from. I think I smell a new post brewing.
Stereotypes aside, Tai Chi is good for you and you should try it. lol When in Shanghai…just kidding.
I have been told that exchanging rings started in Egypt. Again, don’t know how true that is. Needs some research. We should also look into the distinction of newer ideas like Promise Rings and Engagement Rings, aside from the original Wedding Ring.
I would really like to know what is up with jumping a broom and smashing a glass?
Tai Chi looks relaxing.
I heard that there is some connection to the vein that runs through your “ring finger” and your heart. Not sure about the truth of it, or even WHAT is significant about it, but maybe someone else has heard that?
The Romans originated the left hand ring finger as the traditional place for a wedding ring. They were the ones who believed that a vein ran from that finger directly to the heart, and that putting a ring around that vein “bound” your heart to the giver of the ring.
I’ve got nothing to offer on the origins of the other story though. Perhaps Chinese, perhaps not…
Regardless of the origins, that’s a pretty nifty little experiment! Couldn’t believe that I couldn’t even get those fingers to budge!