Christmas Caroling:
is still a strong tradition today. Small chorals of five to eight people are formed and travel house to house singing Christmas Carols.
This is done when the owner of the house is asleep and the group will walk up close to the house and sing.
Dogs will sometimes try to keep singers away, but the beautiful singing of these Christmas Carols usually keeps the dogs in good behavior. The house awakens to the singing, and the group is offered drinks or money.

Send off party:
is when someone from the community is going to somewhere "foreign" (United States, Canada or England); all the family and friends gather.
This event usually takes place at the end of the afternoon, and there is a blessing of the person departing, accompanied with songs and prayers.
Sadness for those leaving melds with the joy of seeing the person embarking on a fresh future. Food and drink are prepared by friends and family.
This event lasts until quite late at night, and it is common for it to still be going on the next day.

From Union Unite

The Maroon Festival:
A [[Maroon]] was a runaway slave in the West Indies, Central America, South America, or North America. The jungles around the [[Caribbean]] Sea offered food, shelter, and isolation for the escaped slaves. There, the Maroons created their own independent communities, which have survived for centuries. Out of this history comes the [[Maroon Festival]].
The Festival symbolizes the beginning of the rainy season; food, music and culture come together, and people are united with people.

The people of Union Island celebrate their strong spirit, a spirit that will never die.
That was the energy of [[Maroons]] on Union Island during slavery, bringing people together, eating, drinking, dancing and celebrating.
This was a chance for the slaves to meet outside their master's control. However the event's main purpose is calling rain on the island. The time of the event is anytime between the months of May and July, at [[Clifton]] Hill. Inside of a circle, drummers beat their drums in a rhythm until an emotional level is reached by the dancers. The dancer gets inside what is called the "battle ground" circle with a scarf in hand and becomes one with the rhythm. The scarf is then given to the next dancer in the circle. The next dance cannot dance in the same style as the previous. This celebration takes place the whole night.

Let Go Season:
close to the dry season, January and February and March, a 'Let Go' season is enforced. This permits goats, sheep and cows to wander freely through the island in order to feed themselves, in a bid for survival. Most of these animals run to the bush, but some remain close to the villages, feeling a certain attachment to their owners. Lawfully all crops must be securely fenced. Should a stray animal plunder the crops, it is captured and tied to the post, where it will be deprived of shade, water and feed for eight days, or until the owner pays the damage.

Old Rites and Festivals

Vessel Launching: The launching of a boat built in [[Union Island]] was a major event. The night before the launch a table is spread with a cloth and a simple meal with a glass and a bottle of Jack Iron. If the proper meal was laid out it was thought that Jumbies (spirits) would eat the food over night.
One must not disappoint a Jumbie so a small meal is laid out for them. In the morning a rooster is killed by wringing its neck and the blood is dropped on the keel. A boat is built upright but to be launched the vessel must be lowered so that the hull rests on the rollers (large branches or tree trunks). This is accomplished by cutting the props. There does not seem to be a method to this - just chop! The boat is then hauled into the water by men power pulling on ropes. As the boat moves closer to the water the back rollers are moved forward. The vessel will soon gather her own momentum launching herself into the waiting Caribbean sea. During all this procedure it is essential to drink Rum and after the procedure it is essential to drink more Rum, eat and finish off with Rum.
The ritual of vessel launching is no longer around. The last vessel launching on [[Union Island]] was "Unity" in 1974. Boats are still being built in [[Windward]] on [[Carriacou]]

Announcement of Event: was been around for decades but has long faded. Whether for a wedding, burial, death or upcoming disasters such as hurricanes, there was someone ringing a bell to give out an announcement of these important messages. This was very important in the times of few radios and television. The announcer will talk through the two villages of Clifton and Ashton making sure that almost everyone hears. By midday the announcement will be talked about throughout every home.

Fisherman Party: took place around Easter. The purpose of this party was to gain the fisherman good will. Even though some aspects ofthis celebration have long gone, excellent cooking and drinks for all still remains.

The Wedding: was a ritual that involved different stages. There was the flag dance where both families of the married couple were separated facing one another, and between them each spouse carried a flag, dancing. The bridegroom's father was to maintain the flag at all times upon that of the bride's father. The dancers would then be united as they danced while both families kissed and congratulated each other. After, everyone would eat and drink. Then on the following Sunday, family and guests went to the wedding ceremony at the church where a lovely sermon would be delivered. Following the church ceremony, both family and friends would go to a big picnic and enjoy themselves. This ritual is not around today; instead, after the church wedding, the family is usually invited for drinks and food at a hotel.