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IN the service of Holy Crowning, the wedding rings are placed on the right hand. I know of many Orthodox who say that is the hand which the wedding ring should be worn on.

IN the Eastern CAtholic Churches, what is our real tradition? Right or left hand? I know that Saint Elias in Brampton includes in thier service for Holy Crowning the part usually cropped out. We do not have this prayer in the Melkite Service:

Blessing at the Putting on of the Rings

"LORD our God, you accompanied the servant of the patriarch Abraham when he was sent to Mesopotamia to choose a wife for his lord, Isaac. By means of a sign, the drawing of water from a well, you showed him that he should betroth Rebecca. Bless this betrothal of your servants and make the Word they have spoken a reality....

"Sustain them with the Holy Union that comes from you, for you make male and female from the beginning and you are the One who matches a wife to her husband...

"And so, LORD our God, who extended your faithfulness to your inheritance...your Chosen Ones in every generation, look with kindness upon your servants and make good their pledge in trust, concern, fidelity, and love...


By a ring, power was given to Joseph in Egypt;
By a ring, Daniel was exalted in the land of Babylon;
By a ring, Tamar's innocence was proven;
By a ring, our heavenly Father showed compassion for his (prodigal) son...

"Your own right hand, LORD, armed Moses in the Red Sea. And just as your faithful Word established the heavens and made the earths foundations firm, so too will your mighty Word and your uplifted arm bless the right hands of your servants....

"O Master, with a blessing from heaven bless now this putting on of rings. And may your Angel go before your servants all the days of their life...

Source: Holy Crowning [saintelias.com]

Here is the Melkite Service: Melkite Holy Crowning [melkite.com]

Why not? What is the tradition and why? Thanks.

C. I. X.

The right hand has been the polite hand for giving or receiving across time and boarders. It is with the right hand a blessing is given, an oath is taken and we sign ourselves with the cross. Many a hymn and Gospel readings make the analogy of right good left not, even though many a left handed user may take offence.

In Ukraine their wedding rings are either worn on their right hand or in their pocket. The only logical reason for left handed wedding ring wearers is the Industrial Revolution. In high school I had a summer job running a knitting machine. There was a sign �If you are left handed remove your wedding ring� because if the machine caught your ring you could loose your finger. Back then that was the only jewelry a real guy wore. I am sure a century earlier the sign would have read �If you are right handed��

Thanks Mykhayl.

Anyone else?

Laka,
we usually wear our wedding rings on the left hand after we're married.
We wear them on the right hand after the betrothal ceremony until the wedding, if the two ceremonies are separated in time. If not, many will wear them on the right from the point of their engagement.

Matta,

Thank you for the response. I know usually is done, but why? THe left hand seems to have little significance in our Tradition.
I am looking for a more direct explanation of why were wear our wedding rings on our left hands in the Melkite Church. Why not the right? And why have we omitted the prayer from above OR was the prayer added later?

Are you asking about the Melkites in the homeland or North Americans of Melkite decent?

I can't answer for the Melkites, but the traditional American logic is that the ring is worn on the left hand as it is closer to the heart.

hawk, who also wears the (chess) queen cuff link on his left cuff and the king on the right

Laka,

I don't know, and those elderly priests and bishops I ask cannot say for certain. I'm still researching, and shall let you know if I find the answer.

Greek Orthodox in Greece where the ring on their right hands. When they come to Egypt--as my wife's father's line did--they wear them on their left hand. All Orthodox and Catholics wear the wedding ring on their left hand in Egypt. It is that way in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine too as far as I can tell.

As for the liturgy, the Antiochian Orthodox also have the abbreviated prayers, no-one remembers at what point the abbreviation took place.

Matta,

Thank you very much for your response. I was aware of the abbreviation in other Churches. Why the abbreviation I wonder?