Kimberly Patino

While attending the annual holiday work party, I began to converse with a very brilliant Brazilian designer who proclaimed that she was getting married in the new year. I was excited for her and as we continued talking, I noticed that she was not wearing an engagement ring.

Me: “Where’s your ring?”

Designer: “I”m sorry?”

Me: “You’re engagement ring.”

Designer: “Oh there is no engagement ring. That’s not our tradition.”

I must admit, it sounded bizarre to me in the beginning and as I stood there puzzled, she continued to explain to me that in Brazil there are no such thing as engagement rings. The only ring that matters is the wedding band. The moment you are on the alter saying your “I do”s, the wedding bands is the only essential jewelry item. Suddenly it dawned on me that the weeding band is the only ring that truly matters…so where did the engagement ring come from?

Let’s think back to the meaning of an engagement ring. In Western culture, the engagement rings symbolizes a woman who is going to be married, duh. Yet as I think back to the couples who were engaged and how the women flaunted their rings, I notice how the women are the only one’s who were rocking the bling bling. I rarely see a male who is getting married wear an engagement ring, so  what about the men?