What Does a Promise Ring Symbolize? Uncover Its Meaning with Giliarto!
A promise ring is the most beautiful symbolic embodiment of a deep connection and a holy vow between two people. Been around for a surprisingly long time, these rings are not talked about enough. Although its roots are in the English society, this ring has taken a central place in the lives and relations of American teenagers.
But in recent times, it has transcended the usual boundaries of age ground and have come to be a part of adult tradition too. In the lives of these people, a promise ring stands for a blooming camaraderie and a committed relationship. Let’s read the story of promise rings a little bit in details.
The True Meaning Behind
Having heard about it often these days, you must wonder what a promise ring ideally mean? The meaning of a promise ring is eponymous. It stands for a promise made between two people. So in essence, its meaning is deeply personal and different for everybody. That said, a promise ring can mean many things.
Between some couples, it is a sign of a soon-to-happen engagement. For others, it is a general symbol of love and devotion between them. More generally, a promise ring is a declaration of two people promising themselves to each other. So, in a way, it a kind of engagement, which may be romantic, or social, but always intimate and personal.
To this day, some people believe in the meaning of promise rings from the mid-century tradition. That gives the ritual of giving promise rings among high school sweethearts a ritual today. Some people also give it to the person they are dating as a way of making their dating status known to the world.
The Origin Story
So when did it all start? It’s apropos to start by mentioning that the idea of a promise ring is not new, even if it’s still novel today. It originated several hundred years back when rings stood as symbols of loyalty and fidelity to an individual or organization. The promise ring as a symbol of love emerged at the time of posy rings and Acrostic rings which were popular in the Victorian and Georgian eras.
It wasn’t until modern times that the promise ring made a comeback as a mainstream fashion trend. In the last decade or so, this ring has earned huge popularity, being a favorite among celebrities. Hollywood celebs like Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth brought it back into trend by wearing their own versions to make their relationship public.
Not the Same as Purity Rings
Enough people have confused a promise ring with a purity ring to make it necessary to untangle the mix-up once and for all. The confusion sprang from a statement made by Joe Jonas back in 2008, when he said in an interview that he and his two brothers wear promise rings as a symbol of the promise to stay pure until marriage. That declaration made promise rings equivalent of purity rings.
But historically, there is a sharp distinction between the two. Experts say that the name, being close are prone to confusion. A purity ring is one that a parent gives to his or her child or one wears it oneself to pledge abstinence whereas a promise ring is given to another person as a token of fealty and commitment, especially in romance.
Is It Only a Women’s Thing?
Contrary to what most people believe, a promise ring is not an ornament ordained to women. A man and a woman can both wear promise rings. Of course men’s promise rings are different in styles and designs, but they are made for both.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth famously wore promise rings when they dated. The Jonas brothers did too. Seeing it to be such a big trend, there is no need for more confirmation that it’s an accessory for both the sexes.
So whatever gender you identify as, you can sport a promise ring with style and confidence.
Traditions and Timing
Promise rings are not engagement rings. They are neither interchangeable as wedding rings. However, that does not take the weight out of their meaning. That’s because, neither for engagement, nor for marriage, a promise ring is given to show the seriousness of a relationship. Say you are dating someone for a year or more and you are pretty serious about this person, a promise ring is a great way to convey that.
So, it may not be for any of the serious events in a relationship, but it surely sets a milestone for a couple. Simply put, it stands as a seal of commitment, which if you have been in a relationship you’d know, is the very touchstone of a romantic bond.
In modern cultures, this ring is growing popular as a mark of a deepening bonding. It echoes as a trend among couples who are ready to take the next step of moving together. Likely to marry each other at a later point, these couples exchange promise rings to show their devotion and commitment for one another.
If there is one thing that a promise ring conveys with unquestionable clarity, it’s that a said relationship is above casual dating and that it’s heading in the way of a future together.
Debunking the Myths
An extraordinary number of myths surrounds the promise ring. They all go to add confusion to the already obscure meaning of a promise ring. Let’s try and bust some of the popular myths here.
First, a promise ring is not an engagement ring. Its purpose is deeply personal and therefore can vary from romantic to friendship.
Some believe that a promise ring is not at all a couple’s thing. Well, it is only ever a couple’s thing. It’s given when two people want to solidify their relationship before a temporary parting like going overseas for job or studies.
But promise rings can also be exchanged in other relationships also to express your undying love and loyalty to another friend, sibling or even a parent figure.
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