SUBSCRIBEDo you really need a promise ring?
Promise rings, in modern understanding, is considered by many to be a recent development, popularized in the 1990s by groups advocating sexual abstinence in the United States. Also known as purity or chastity rings and usually with a cross design which signify their Christian affiliation, the wearer pledges to refrain from having sex until marriage or until it can be replaced with a wedding ring.
These are typically sold to adolescents or to parents who are expected to give these as gifts to their adolescent children. However, it’s effectivity as a deterent to pre-marital sex is still up for debate and this practice has raised criticisms from various sectors especially when these groups were able to get some government funding.
Is this really something new? In a more broader scope, the use of promise rings has its roots in the Rainessance period, starting in the 16th century. If a man cannot afford to get married, this ring is given as his pledge until such time that he is ready. This should also be differentiated from the friendship ring wherein there is no commitment to marry.
In most instances, the giving of promise rings between two people signifies their commitment to lifelong love and devotion to each other and can be a prelude to marriage.
