Greetings, Meg! I notice you haven't been active at Atheist Nexus since Sept. <sigh> Sometimes it can seem a bit fragmented, with different groups for every interest. Please consider a group for socializing, where we talk about whatever's on our minds, Hang With Friends. :D You might feel more at home.

Oh sorry, I wasnt specific! I go to Auburn University! Are you in school in Birmingham?

wow great voice!

Wow Meg, I was told you could sing so took a gander! Your voice is so haunting. I am overawed. It's an amazing talent.

Lame. :p

Um, so when is this supposedly crazy party happening?

There's certainly some interesting secular history, but it's fairly intertwined. It's also not that long of a history, and pretty repetitive until white people show up and take over. And from there it's mostly like every other story of American imperialism.

Well, in classes in Hawaii, there's a pretty disproportional amount of time spent on the Hawaii related aspects of that subject, so you tend to learn them over and over. Like in my "World History" class, we spent 2 days on Hawaii. And one day on the Renaissance. It just seems that most people actually believe these things, and they constantly warn you that you are making some god, or mythical being angry. Constantly learning about their superstitions from everyone around you.

There's a ton of superstitions. I don't exactly know the background of all of them, but if you take rocks from the island, Pele gets angry and you get sick. There are also "Nightmarchers" which are apparently dead spirits that march at dawn and dusk, and if you hear chanting you should hide in your house and put ti leaves in the four corners, as anyone seen by them will die. Also, about 90% of people in Hawaii believe in the Menehune, which are essentially little forest dwarfs. There are also certain roads you aren't supposed to take pork over... or something bad happens. Not sure what exactly. And don't keep pork in your car at night, unless you have ti leaves with you. Also... something about if you see an old woman hitch-hiking with her dog, you should pick her up, because it's Pele's sister, I believe... or she'll... do something bad, probably involving fire.

I sort of brush them aside, as you can see. I remember them when a test is in the future, and then promptly forget them. Also, I do believe there is some legend about part of Hawaii being Pele's vagina (vaguely remember this), but I can't find anything about it online.