What happened on November 27, 2022? Mauna Loa began to erupt. Mauna Lao is the world’s largest active volcano. Until that day, it had been quiet for 38 years.

Mauna Lao is in Hawaii. It is far away from where people live. When it started to erupt, people did not have to worry about the lava burning their houses.

They did have to worry about something else. Pele’s hair. Pele’s hair is what Hawaiians call thin strands of cooled lava.

When lava bubbles burst and cool, they form glass strings. The strings can be a few feet long. They look like human hair.

Pele’s hair blows around in the wind. It piles up near volcanoes. It forms hills that are many inches deep.

The Hawaiian Park Service warns people about Pele’s hair. Because it is glass, it can cause cuts. It can also blow into people’s eyes.

Pele’s hair is named after the Hawaiian volcano goddess. She lives in the crater of a volcano called Kilauea. Stories warn about Pele’s curse. They say that you should not take anything from nature away from the Hawaiian Islands. If you do, you will have many years of bad luck.

If you go to Hawaii while a volcano is erupting, beware of Pele’s hair. And if you take a rock as a souvenir, beware of Pele’s curse!