Ring finger Why is the fourth finger (counting the thumb) of the left hand the finger for engagement and wedding rings? The ancient philosophers asserted that there was a very delicate nerve running from that finger direct to the heart; later writers said that it was a fine vein, the vena amoris. In Catholic tradition the first three fingers represent the Trinity, so their ring-giving ceremony consists of putting the ring on the thumb, forefinger and third finger while saying ‘In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost’, and then on the fourth finger, to rest permanently, while saying ‘Amen’. Up until the 16th century it was the custom here and elsewhere to wear the betrothal or wedding ring on the fourth finger of the right hand, a custom that is still echoed when nuns take their vows. (more…)