The Wearing Of Mens Wedding Rings Today

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 27th, 2010

Although the wearing of mens wedding rings is becoming increasing common today this is a relatively recent change and is still not entirely accepted by many men.

It has been traditional for woman to wear wedding rings almost since history began and there are records of an exchange of rings at wedding ceremonies way back to the times of ancient Egypt. Nevertheless, it was rare for a man to wear a wedding ring following the marriage ceremony until after the Second World War.

Many people have suggested that this was for purely economic reasons and that it is only the relative affluence that many societies now enjoy that has made this practice possible. There is undoubtedly some validity in this argument and it may indeed be a significant reason for men not previously wearing wedding rings, but it is certainly not the only reason.

Wearing a wedding ring mean stating publicly that you are married and, while this has rarely been seen as a problem for women, many men are less than happy to advertise the fact that they are married. This is undoubtedly changing today, but still remains a strong influence for many men, while others simply wear their ring when it suits them and remove it when it does not.

As an interesting aside, men in Greece and Italy are often given "puzzle" wedding rings by their brides. These rings consist of a series of interlocking metal rings that have to be arranged in a set order to form a single ring, which means that the ring cannot be quickly and easily removed or replaced.

For some men the wedding ring is seen as an item of jewelry and wearing a wedding ring is viewed in much the same way as they view wearing a pair of earrings. For many men wearing jewelry is simply something that men do not do and the wedding ring is no exception. Again this is something that is becoming less of a problem over time and, while the wearing of earrings may still be some way off for most men, it is often seen as acceptable for a man to wear a ring, bracelet or a neck chain these days.

In many cases, while a man may not have any particular problem with the idea of wearing a wedding ring, if he has not worn a ring before he may be concerned about whether or not he will feel comfortable with a ring and have questions about whether or not it will feel heavy or will rub. This of course is an easy matter to overcome and all he has to do is buy a cheap ring from his local jewelry store or market and wear if for a while to see.

Of course one genuine problem for many men is their occupation which may exclude them from wearing a ring because of the dangers posed by operating machinery or perhaps for reasons of hygiene. This is course is not something that it confined to the wearing of mens wedding rings and effects women equally.

As time goes by more and more men are adopting the habit of wearing a wedding ring and the signs are that this practice is likely to continue to grow.