How important is the wedding ring?

But his wife, Caroline did not take it lightly as she suspected her husband of infidelity. The wedding band or ring as it is simply called is often worn by most married people signifying that they are no longer available for other men or women as the case may be. Often times, we come across some […]

But his wife, Caroline did not take it lightly as she suspected her husband of infidelity.
 The wedding band or ring as it is simply called is often worn by most married people signifying that they are no longer available for other men or women as the case may be. Often times, we come across some married individuals without wedding band or ring yet they hold the sanctity of their marital vows in high esteem.
 In some religious settings, it is a must to use the wedding ring as a sign to cement the union between the newly wedded couple hence, the vow to keep the chastity of their union.
 But does it really matter if he wouldn’t wear a wedding ring? Few married men would choose to go without a wedding ring while women like to flaunt it where ever they go. They tend to show the world when they had made the “Big Commitment” of I do. But it is not so easy to spot the married men, many of whom refuse to wear an obvious sign to show they are ‘taken’.
 Most women are also judgmental if their husbands do not wear the wedding band. To them it is a sign of infidelity. They see them as less committed to them than he should be and just waiting for his chance to run off with someone else.
 Many men do not need the emotional commitment to symbolic objects like keepsakes, love letters and the likes that most women have. For men who want to marry, the action of getting married is what is important and not any symbolic object representing it.
 Women, on the other hand, show their feelings more; they talk openly about them and think nothing of showing them in public. This is why most women want permanent proof of their commitment in marriage.
 Today’s married women would no doubt laugh at the idea that their wedding ring symbolises that they are their husband’s ‘property’ rather, they view it with pride as a sign of an important commitment.
The history and symbolism behind the tradition of wearing a wedding ring today are based on expression of love, but no one can really say for sure when this age old tradition actually started. Some believe that the oldest recorded exchange of wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt, about 4,800 years ago.
The circle of the ring was the symbol of eternity, with no beginning or end, not only to the Egyptians, but many other ancient cultures. The hole in the center of the ring also had significance. It wasn’t just considered a space, but rather a gateway, or door; leading to things and events both known and unknown. To give a woman a ring signifies never-ending and immortal love.
TheHistoryOf.net revealed that the wedding ring, that most famous and instantly recognisable symbol of the joining of a man and a woman as husband and wife in the institution of marriage, has a long, wide spread and mysterious history. Its beginnings lie in the deserts of North Africa, where the ancient Egyptian civilization sprang up along the fertile flood plains of the River Nile.
 Commenting on the issue, Mr. Godwin Oche said it is a symbolic representation of love to a woman you cherish. He said though he used it for his wedding some years back,  he no longer wears it.
 He explained that he wore it for some months after their wedding but had to stop because whenever he removed it at night, he always forgot to put it on in the morning, so he stopped wearing it altogether.
 Oche’s said his wife was angry initially but later got used to it adding that he must not put on a ring to be faithful to his wife. “There are lots of men with their wedding rings and they still go after other ladies. The women they follow see them with the ring but it does not bother them. Keeping your marriage and relationship is a personal decision and not the ring,” he said.
 Mr. John Fadare, a relationship expert said the wedding ring symbolizes that the couple are now one, adding that if the man gives the wife no cause to doubt him in any other area of their relationship, not wearing a ring should not be a source for concern.
 He said it has been discovered that men do not like wearing their rings as much as women do. “I think women are the faithful ones when it comes to the use of wedding rings. But there are still some faithful men too. I have seen men that have been married for about 25 years and they are still wearing their wedding band and I have also seen those that discard it few months after their wedding. That should not bring any quarrel between the couple, just be faithful to each other ring or no ring.”
 Ibrahim Shehu said wearing of wedding ring is not from our culture and not in line with his religion adding that the most important thing in Islam is the ‘Nikkai’.
 “There is nothing like you must wear wedding ring to be faithful but the fear of God is what can keep any one in marriage. For me as a Muslem, it is not in line with my faith. Wearing of rings as a marital commitment is just copying western culture,” he said.
Some reasons given by experts on why married men do not wear the ring include;
Wrong size: If the ring is a very loose fit then the man’s probably going to lose the ring. If it’s a very tight fit then this would probably happen after a few months. Of course there’s usually the recommendation to re-size the ring.
Discomfort: Apart from irritation, it may just feel like extra weight. For hands-on type of men it would be in the way if, for instance, you are a gym instructor and you lift weights which result in blisters from the extra friction.
Carelessness: Some men take off their rings each time they are taking a shower or participating in sports. Such men may genuinely forget to put their rings back on. Such rings easily become missing.
Culture and religion: it is not part of the requirement for marriage or weddings for some cultures and religions.
Choice: Dear women, believe it or not but there are men out there who never took a liking to wearing any piece of jewelry whatsoever.
Infidelity: Introducing the dreaded word no married woman wants to hear. No woman wants to marry a player. But if a man is not happy in his marriage, bored, feeling uncomfortable, he may decide not to wear the ring.