It's The End of the World As We Know It And I Feel Fine

No it's not really the end of the world as we know it.  But apparently some ancient people thought it might be. I did a little digging around about why people think the world will end Friday. Here's what I found out.

Are you doing anything fun to celebrate our so called "last day" on Thursday, Dec. 20?

Some of my friends have some great plans. One is going to Disneyland and another is going to Morton's Steakhouse. And another, a friend on the East Coast is going to "party like it's 1999." I like their attitudes.

Here are some answers from the extensive five minute research I just did on this topic.

Q: What's a Mayan?

A: Wikipedia says, "The adjective Mayan is sometimes popularly used to refer to the indigenous peoples of southeastern Mexico and parts of Central America, such as Guatemala; their culture, language, and history." 

We brought back a Mayan calendar from our trip to Cozumel a while back. It's kind of ugly so it has been hidden in the far back of our yard for years. However, because of this doomsday prediction, it is now prominently featured inside of our house. I'm curious to know, what's up with the ghoul in the center with his tongue sticking out?

Q: What's all this brouhaha about the Mayans predicting the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012? 

A: I find all the news coverage of this interesting because the ancient Mayans aren't technically around anymore, right?
In any case, I read up on the topic today. The ancient Mayans used three different calendars to count the days. One is called the Long Count Calendar. On approximately Dec. 21, 2012, this particular calendar completes a major cycle that has something to do with a number pattern. The number cycle completion has triggered fears about the end of the world.

That's it. It has to do with a bunch of numbers.  I guess they ran out of room on the stone to write the next number or something. As my son's 13 year old friend puts it, "They ran out of paper."

Q: Is this doomsday prediction mentioned anywhere else besides on the Long Count Calendar?

A:  Many moons ago a couple of Mayans drew some pictures that depicted the end of the world. I'm guessing they were carved on the wall of a cave or on pottery. 

So now that we demystified the Mayan calendar, let's live every day to its fullest and look forward to a relaxing Christmas with our families. And if you are feeling a little blue, as some people do this time of year, do something nice for someone else. It'll make you feel better.