Mailing Rocks to Hawaii
Superstition and guilt are forcing tourists to return via post their illegally obtained Hawaiian souvenirs. It is illegal to collect rocks, sand, or shells from national parks such as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park but that hasn’t stopped those seeking to put a nice piece of lava rock on their bookshelf at home.
It is not the law that has people worried though, it’s Pele’s Curse. Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, is said to have put a curse of bad luck unto those who steal rocks from Hawaiian lands and although of course pure fiction and myth, people swear their kleptomaniac ways have landed them horrible luck including wrecked marriages, home evictions, and even death of loved ones. This has caused those inflicted with the bad fortune to return their stolen booty to appease the God as they ask for forgiveness.
For all those who ignore the curse and the law, you might want to at least pinch smaller rocks in the event you do come down with a case of bad luck. This way at least your shipping weight and cost won’t cost you a fortune sending them back to Pele and the Hawaiian Islands.
