Engagement Traditions That Tie the Past Generation to the Future Ones
Have you wondered why you need to offer a ring to the lady you love before your propose to her? Why is it that this milestone in your life would be based on a ring's give and take? Who has set these rules? Where are these engagement traditions coming from?
What Are Engagement Traditions?
Engagement traditions are customs which people follow according to their choice because of sentimental value. Legally speaking very few engagement traditions would be backed up by any formal laws. However, there are plenty on informal (or unwritten rules) that people follow voluntarily because they feel good about it or because these bring luck.
These informal 'laws' are known as traditions - which mostly make people feel they belong to the community. These traditions change over time as every generation adapt it slightly to their present day convenience. For example, once upon a time the first contact with a woman gentleman loved would be done when the gentleman in question sent his gloves to her when she attended church on Sunday. If she accepted and wore the gloves, it meant she approved of the courtship.
Other engagement traditions required that men send tiny wooden spoons to the woman they loved and if they wore these spoons around their neck, it would be mean that they accepted the attentions of the young men.
The History of the Engagement Ring
It is not very sure when exactly the engagement traditions of gifting or exchanging a ring for engagement started. Some historians are of the opinion that this tradition would have started in the year 1215 AD as a result of the laws drawn by Pope Innocent III, who imposed a long waiting period between the engagement and marriage. At that time the engagement rings would basically have six gems each symbolizing a person - the middle two would signify the betrothed couple, the two gems on the left would symbolize the bride's parents while those on the right the groom's parents.
The Victorian era had some peculiar style rings - at that time the engagements rings would spell 'regards' or 'dearest' with the initials of the gems that made the rings. Gradually this ring was limited to only four gems and now - in the present day - a three diamond stone ring is a hot favorite among engagement rings as is the solitaire diamond ring.
The craze about the diamond as the best fitted for an engagement ring is a recent phenomenon. In fact this trend can be pinned on the campaign of De Beers at the turn of the 20th Century when their slogan 'A diamond is forever' became a hit globally.
