If there’s anything on your “bucket list” of things to do before you die that you haven’t got around to yet, you better make it quick – the world is going to end tomorrow! (Featured image is by AmateurArtGuy)
At least, that’s what the Mayans believed. Or, to put it more accurately, that’s what some people think the Mayans believed.
The Mayans, a sophisticated civilisation that spanned Mexico, Guatemala and Belize from 1000 BC to 1519 AD, were known for their advanced mathematical and astrological systems.
One such system was the Mayan calendar, a sophisticated 5,125-year “Long Count” calendar that comes to an end on, you guessed it, December 21.
Mayan experts and ancient historians have been quick to dispel the Mayan doomsday myth, pointing out that there’s no evidence in the calendars to suggest an apocalyptic end to life as we know it.
Many people have been quick to ignore the experts, however, and are busy planning how best to spend their last day on Earth.
Whether it’s heading into an underground bunker for a few days, waiting for aliens to take them away, or simply planning a party just in case the world doesn’t end, people – clothed and unclothed – are enjoying their last day in all sorts of ways.
Russia
Russians are taking the end of the world very seriously indeed, and have been stocking up on the essentials for weeks now.
Hardware shops in the city of Chita have been enjoying strong demand, with one hardware store chain owner claiming the demand had trebled the price of candles. The world may be ending, but at least it’ll be romantic.
Other businesses have taken it upon themselves to make the most of the impending doomsday, selling end-of-the-world kits with all you need for an apocalypse – a bar of soap, a piece of rope, and vodka.
China
China is another country that has embraced the doomsday hysteria wholeheartedly, something that is historically and culturally unusual for the country.
China has no history of a preoccupation with the end of the world, like many western countries do. But this time it’s different, thanks to Hollywood blockbuster 2012.
The film was a huge hit when it was released in China in 2009, and hysteria has been building ever since. Many are predicting three days of darkness and have been snapping up candles left, right and centre.
France
If you’re feeling a little uneasy about the impending apocalypse, and don’t have an underground nuclear bunker to hide in, head over to France.
Or, more specifically, the village of Bugarach high up in the Pyrenees. This sleepy rural community is, apparently, the only place that will be safe on December 21.
This has been put down to the mountain that looms over the village, which some believe is a type of UFO “garage” that will see aliens depart tomorrow, taking a few lucky humans with them.
Flight prices from the US to France have soared this month, many of them one-way tickets, forcing the mayor of Bugarach to urge people to stay away.
USA
If there is one country that loves the end of the world, it’s our friends across the Pond. All manner of doomsday predictions have been made in the States over the years, but as far as we can tell none has come true.
But the Mayan doomsday is the daddy of all apocalypse predictions, and some Americans are taking it very seriously.
Underground bunker manufacturers have reported a boom in sales recently, with one firm claiming to have gone from selling one a month to one a day.
Mexico
So, what about in Mexico, where the ancient Mayans flourished? Are they worried about the end of the world? Not a bit of it! In fact, most of them are having a party.
Mexican and Mayan descendants see the end of the calendar as the opportunity for a new start, and count themselves lucky to witness the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
Tourism has exploded this year, and Mayan-themed events are taking place all over the country. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about after all… maybe!
