about that Mayan calendar thing
December 12, 2012
I’m a bit baffled at how many people are taking this end of the Mayan Long Count calendar/end of the world thing seriously. And not just the sensationalist programming on cable channels that ought to know better. (I’m looking at you, History.) Random Facebook and other internet postings, that kind of thing, I’m seeing a lot of, “Oh, it’s probably not real…probably…but what if it is?” It makes me scratch my head a bit.
If people want to use it as an excuse for a party — by all means! But thinking something’s going to actually happen?
In Cozumel we toured San Gervasio, the most extensive Mayan ruins on the island. I asked the guide — a Mayan — if they were getting a lot of attention because of the calendar publicity. He said some, but not much compared to the mainland, where sites like Chichen Itza are getting overwhelmed. And then he passed along a comment made by a friend of his: “When the regular white calendar ends, you have a party and then start the whole thing over again, right? Why do people think the Mayan calendar is any different?”
This whole end of the world thing? That came from gringo New Agers. The Mayans? They’re having a party and starting the whole thing over again. Now who do you think I’m going to listen to?
The Mayan road leading to the main archway of the city:
December 12, 2012 at 10:11 am
It seems funny to me that so many people are buying into the whole 12/21/12 thing, when five minutes worth of investigation will show you quite plainly that the entire thing came about because New Age guru (who shall remain nameless) came up with their own doomsday formula and said “hey I wonder if any else got this” then saw that the Mayan Calendar was close, so he fudged his own “calculations” to make the two match.
Personally I stick with Grant Morrison’s answer when questioned about it. “How many times have people predicted the world was going to end? Hundred? Thousands? Millions? How many times has it actually ended?”
December 12, 2012 at 10:24 am
But it does make for some wonderfully bad disaster movies.
December 12, 2012 at 11:30 am
You know, the world will really end at midnight on December 31, 2012, because that’s the end of the Gregorian Calendar (insert ominous music here)
December 12, 2012 at 1:26 pm
End of world is great reason to quit job, have long wild vacation maxing out all credit cards for the few remaining days — and not have to buy any Christmas gifts for anyone.
December 13, 2012 at 10:04 am
Yeah, those people are gonna be kinda sad on the 22nd.
December 13, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Ivanova said it best, I think.
December 13, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Great, now I’m gonna have to go rewatch all of Babylon 5!
I heart Ivanova so much…
December 16, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Like this post so I added a link here:
http://www.daddylee1969.com/the-end-of-the-world/
What would you do if the world is truly going to end?
December 16, 2012 at 6:32 pm
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