Mens Wedding Rings Have a Fascinating Ancient and Contemporary History
Although the concept of mens wedding rings as we recognize them developed fairly recently, the roots of the tradition of wedding rings for both genders can in fact be traced back thousands of years and through many different cultures. Anthropologists have found evidence suggesting that the first womens and mens wedding rings wrapped around the waist, wrists, or extremities rather than the ring finger that is now custom, and were made from any number of materials ranging from woven grasses and fabrics to carved stone, and later on from metals. This is because in ancient times, before there was much medical knowledge and people lived much more closely with illness and mortality than we do today, it was believed that one’s spirit could simply flow out of the body, and these primitive womens and men’s wedding bands were exchanged by people hoping to anchor their loved ones’ souls to Earth.
Over time, other traditions gained in momentum, and due to a combination of many factors in social norms, religion, and fashion, mens wedding rings fell by the wayside and became less common until the first half of the twentieth century. The revival of Mens Wedding Rings sparked with the advent of the second World War when an overwhelming number of men were drafted or voluntarily joined the Armed Forces, and most married American and British soldiers shipping out to combat opted to wear rings as a public acknowledgment of the wives and families awaiting their safe return. Wedding rings had long been a matter of choice for everyone by this time, as marriage itself was legally a matter of choice rather than an outdated transfer of so-called property, and the reasoning was that the women had always worn wedding rings to make this public declaration and would continue to do so even while their husbands were away rather than remove them and appear single to other men (and many married women also traveled overseas to assist the Allies as well), so a “real man” who was honorable would be happy to show his commitment to a loyal and loving spouse in the same way by wearing simple, classic Mens Wedding Rings.
This trend caught on and now it is more common than not for a married man to wear a ring. Even men who would never consider wearing another piece of jewelry take no issue with Mens Wedding Bands, as there are so many simple styles available and the wedding ring’s meaning is an obvious statement of commitment rather than jewelry worn for fashion.