Ring Finger Reasoning

I may be the only one who doesn’t know this little tale from the Chinese that tells the story of why we traditionally put our wedding rings on our fourth finger.  Just in case you have never heard this either, I thought I’d share.  It is just a sweet little story.  (I tried to locate some historical background on the story but sadly all I could find were posts alluding to a Chinese story)

Your thumb represents your Parents.
Your index finger represents your Siblings.
Your middle finger represents Yourself.
Your ring finger represents your Life Partner.
Your last (pinkie) finger represents your Children.

Try this little experiment.  Open your hands, palm to palm, and bend the middle fingers, touching them together, back to back.  Next take the remaining fingers and put them together fingertip to fingertip.  Like this…

With the rest of your fingers still together, try to separate your thumbs (representing your parents).  They will open because you are not destined to live forever with your parents.  Now put those back together.

Try to do the same with your index fingers (siblings).  Those two will open because your siblings will have their own lives and families.  Again, join those fingers back together.

Now try your pinkie fingers (children).  Those too will separate because your children will eventually grow up and start their own families.  Join the pinkies together again.

Lastly, try to separate your ring fingers (representing your spouse).  You simply can’t open them because the story goes… you and your spouse are meant to remain together your whole lives.  Sweet huh!

Now there is a scientific reason that this works, having to do with the nerves in your hand, yadda yadda.  But we prefer to suspend disbelief and assume it is simply because of that lovely little tale.