The practice of handing over an engagement ring has been with us since at least the Roman Empire, and possibly well before that. Different peoples in different parts of the world have come to attach their own particular customs and practices to the engagement ring – some of which are very interesting. Let’s take a look at engagement rings, and how they vary from one part of the world to another.
Western Traditions
In the West, engagement rings are typically embedded with a diamond. This is a relatively recent development, and can largely be traced to one of history’s most effective marketing campaigns.
In the 1930s, the De Beers diamond cartel was looking for a way to recover from the great depression. At the time, around 10% of engagement rings contained diamonds – but the ‘A Diamond is Forever’ tagline, combined with the idea that an engagement ring should cost a month’s salary, helped to push this up to around 80%.
While this idea started in the United States, it ultimately spread to the UK and wider Europe, thanks to the influence of American film, television, and culture more broadly.
Eastern Traditions
In Asia, we find quite a different set of beliefs and practices associated with ring-giving.
In India, rings are worn by brides, not on the finger, but on the toe. This special ring, called a bichiya, serves the same function as the engagement ring many in the West might recognise.
Japan’s wedding traditions are slightly more westernised – though the ring itself is markedly less central. It’s worn throughout the engagement, but then set aside after the wedding itself – and brought out only on special occasions.
In China, the custom of an engagement ring has been around since at least the Song Dynasty. The proposal itself tends to be large an ostentatious – and the ring tends to be more impressive, too. The country has significantly more men than women (as a result of the one-child policy and its legacy), which means competition is fierce!
African Traditions
In Africa, there are literally hundreds of distinct wedding traditions, and many of them centre on the ring itself. In Equatorial Guinea, rings are not used at all – with a dowry paid to the bride’s family being preferred. In Botswana, there’s an enormous diamond-mining industry, but the locals don’t value this precious gem as highly as buyers in the West might do.
Symbolism and Superstitions
Given that the practice of handing over engagement rings is so old, it should be no surprise that so many myths have come to surround it. It was once said that the ring finger of the left hand contains a vein that runs directly to the heart – making it a perfect location for a ring. This has since been disproven by medical science – but the tradition remains!
