Quick notes for 12/21/12:
- As a people, they are the Maya, not the Mayans.
- As a people, they still exist as a culture, despite the Spanish.
- The Mayan calendar does not "end" any more than our calendar ends on Dec. 31st.
- Calendars are cyclical, ours and theirs. What happened today was a transition to the new (14th) b'ak'tun (or 13.0.0.0.0) on the long count calendar.
- One b'ak'tun is 144,000 days, so it's kind of a big deal.
- The Maya NEVER predicted cataclysm on this turn. That was a fairly recent construct of an intersection of New Age ideas, conspiracy theory, and popular culture.
- A full set of 20 b'ak'tun (piktun) will occur October 13, 4772. HUGE deal. Still: no end of days.
So tonight, raise a glass to the Maya and the new b'ak'tun. But be careful out there friends: there are a great deal of misinformed people looking for an excuse to ignore all consequence. Cheers!