Christians: The ritualistic customs observed by a Christian are governed by the aim that he should save his soul applying to himself the merits obtained for mankind by Christ. These merits of graces could be availed of by a person through sacraments which are seven in number, viz., (1) Baptism (2) Confirmation (3) Penance, (4) Holy Eucharist, (5) Extreme Unction, (6) Holy order and (7) Matrimony or the sacrament of marriage, of these, Baptism and Matrimony both of which are considered as important in all Christian Churches are described below:-

All the Christian denominations, Catholic and non-Catholic, have the rite of Baptism or the rite of initiation into the Christian religion. The rite according to the Roman Catholic Church is as follows:-

Baptism: The child is brought to the church for Baptism with two persons termed god-parents who answer in the name of the child the questions put by the priest to the child.

The priest after putting a pinch of specially blessed salt in the mouth of the child exorcises it of the evil spirit or influence that may have dominion, and then anoints it with holy oil, he then solemnly asks the child whether it desires to receives Baptism, and on the god-parents answering for it in the affirmative performs the really essential rite of Baptism. He pours especially blessed water on its head, saying meanwhile, N (here he addressed the child by its name), I baptise thee in the name of the father and the Son and of the Holy Ghost. " The name by which the child is addressed remains henceforth as the Christian name of the child. The ceremony comes to a close when the child is once again anointed with holy oil (different from the previous one) and the child is presented with a white garment, a symbol of Purity and Innocence, and a lighted candle-symbol of Preparedness and Vigilence. Though most Christian churches ordinarily administer Baptism to children, they have also provision for Adult Baptism in the case of adults converted to Christianity.

Matrimony: Since marriage is a very important event in the life of a human being the Christian Churches have developed a solemn ceremony about it.

The bride is dressed all in white, her head covered with a white veil and crowned with a wreath of white flowers. She comes into the church resting on the hand of her father or some other elder male relative. The bridegroom has a personal attendant who is called the best-man. The bridal pair comes forward to the altar rails and in the presence of two responsible witness and the congregation in general the priest solemnly interrogates each in turn about their free consent to the matrimonial contract. The formula is generally this:-

"N, will thou take N, here present for thy lawful wife according to the rite of our Holy Mother the church"? and a correspondingly worded question is put to the bride. Conscious of the momentous consequences of their reply, they each in turn give their affirmative, "I Will". Then the father (or the elder representing him) formally makes over the girl to the man, who takes her right hand in his hand and solemnly says, :I, N, take thee, N, for my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, and thereto I plight thee my troth". Then he withdraws his hand and now the bride takes his hand in hers and utters the same formula with the formula with the corresponding changes of wording. Then the priest, their hands still being joined, blesses the marriage in the words: I join you in holy matrimony in the name of he Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, "and he sprinkles them with holy water. The essential rite of the marriage is then over.

The priest then blesses a ring (usually of gold) and some trinket or a silver coin produced by the bridegroom and hands it over to the bridegroom who then puts it on the third finger of the bride's hand, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed; this gold and silver I thee give and with all my worldly goods I thee endow" The priest then says a prayer and the ceremony is over.

Among the Maharastrian, Tamil and Malayali Christians of this region it is still customary at he ceremony to give to the priest a mangalsutra for being blessed by him which is then tied by the bridegroom round the neck of the bride. The Mangal-sutra is made of gold thread and black beads.

Death & Funeral: Christians are very much concerned about the administration of a priest to a sick person in danger of death; they consider this even more important than the attention of a doctor. The priest gets the patient to review, as far as it is in his power at the time, all the wrongs he has done, all the sins he has committed and then induces him to be really sorry for what he has done and to ask God's pardon for his sins. Then the priest (if he is a Roman catholic), by virtue of the power given him by Christ gives him absolution, i.e., in God's name forgives his sins. If the patient is unconscious, he is given what is called the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. The priest anoints the vital sense of the lying man with a specially blessed oil, and prays to God to forgive the dying man for whatever wrong he may have done through the senses.

Christians bury their dead. The well-to-to lay the body in coffin and the poor carry it in church bier. The hands are tied together across the chest and a small crucifix is placed in them. When the body or coffin is lowered in the grave the priest first puts a few handfuls of earth over it and then the mourners follow. On the seventh and on the thirteenth day and at the end of the year and in some cases every year solemn office and all persons who attend are given a festive dinner or breakfast. Black clothes are a mark of mourning and the close relatives of the dead person observe mourning for one year during which period they do not attend public or social functions.