The Real Meaning of Purity Rings And Promise Rings

Purity and promise rings have been around for years. You’ve probably heard celebrities talking about them when you were growing up, from Miley Cyrus to the Jonas Brothers. You may have been too young to fully understand what the true promise and purity ring meaning really is, however.

What’s the difference between a purity ring and a promise ring?

What you may not know about purity rings, is that they are actually a type of promise ring. Promise rings can be used to symbolize several different kinds of commitments. Some are used as an oath someone makes to their partner that they will promise to propose to them.

Some other promise rings are used as a promise someone makes to themselves that they will remain abstinent until marriage. In this case, it is called a purity ring.

How do you wear them?

Purity rings are worn on your left ring finger, just like an engagement or wedding ring. The idea is that the purity ring with remain there as a reminder that you pledged to refrain from sex until marriage. Once the wearer gets married, the ring is replaced with a wedding ring.

Who wears them?

Anyone can wear a promise or purity ring, although a lot of the time parents actually buy a ring for their son or daughter. It has been said that purity rings are most effective when the children themselves make the oath, and they are not being forced or asked to wear them.

What have celebrities said about them?

Of the three Jonas brothers, only Kevin upheld the promise he made to not have sex until marriage. Joe and Nick have both come out and said that while they believed in the purity ring meaning, they ultimately decided that they grew out of them.

During his Reddit Ask Me Anything, Nick Jonas said:

“There was a person in the church who at one point demanded that all the kids in the youth group put these purity rings on and make this commitment, so without a full understanding of what we were stepping into, we all made this commitment.”

Selena Gomez has also said that while her ring came off, she still really respects what they are supposed to represent. Miley Cyrus previously wore a purity ring, too, but had a change of heart. She has since become a much bigger fan of telling parents to educate their children on sex instead of discouraging it.

The bottom line.

Ultimately, the true purity ring mean is always going to be abstinence. These rings represent a pledge of your virginity and a promise that you will wait until marriage to have sex. They may seem a little old school, but plenty of people still wear and feel very strongly about them.

Do you have any more questions about the real purity ring meaning? Ask us in the comments below!

featured image source: weheartit.com