Modern Day Mayas Give No Credence To Apocalypse Prediction, Archaeologists Plan To ‘Party Like Its 13.0.0.0.0’

While the Mayan’s disappeared thousands of years ago, a group believed to have descended from the ancient tribe still exist in Mexico. Unlike Mayan Apocalypse followers, these descendants typically don’t believe the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012.

The nearly 800,000 Mexican Mayas located in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula have continued to live out their daily lives, working, socializing, and spending time with family. According to the Denver Post, they even love to tell “off-color jokes” and hang out in the streets at night.

It would be easy to believe the people of the Mayan culture would believe much of the hype. Unlike America where most people have access to vast amounts of TV and Internet information disproving the Mayan Apocalypse rumor, modern-day Mayas often live in thatched, oval and mud-and-stick houses and spend their days planting and harvesting corn and oranges.

When the Post asked about the Mayan Apocalypse, one local explained:

“We don’t know if the world is going to end. Remember 2006, and the ‘6-6-6’ (June 6, 2006): A lot of people thought something was going to happen, and nothing happened after all.”

The Mayan Calendar in simple terms used baktun cycles to chart their year; a baktun was a 394-year cycle. The 13th baktun cycle ends on Friday and marks 5,126 years. Researchers note that the Mayan’s would likely have simply rolled over their calendar like an “odometer.”

The Toronto Star explains that, if anything, the Mayan’s would not have been holed up in bomb shelters awaiting the apocalypse but would have instead been partying it up. The publication notes:

“The Maya never said the world would come to an end or anything like that but they did consider Dec. 21 a significant day. They would have had a lot of celebrations and rituals and ceremonies.”

Sonja Schwake, an anthropological archaeologist, adds:

“We joke and say we are going to party like it’s 13.0.0.0.0.”

The world will likely not come to an end on December 21, 2012 at which time businesses looking to capitalize on bomb shelters, food rations, and other supplies will likely find and expose the next nearby end of the world prediction.

How are you planning for the Mayan Apocalypse?