玛雅人欢迎新日历

We’re just a couple of weeks away until December 21st, the end of Mayan calendar cycle. But rest assured, scientists are insisting that it’s not the end of the world. And quash any fears of any pending doom, Mayans in Guatemala and Mexico are instead celebrating the end of their calander cycle.

At an ancient site in Guatemala, a group of Mayans held a sacred ritual to welcome December 21st, the end of their calendar cycle.

Mayan people in Mexico also held traditional activities, to get ready for the big day.

Some believe it's going to be the end of the world, like the US blockbuster "2012" depicted: the Earth being swallowed by floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions But even common sense dictates that when one calendar runs out, you just flip the page and start a new cycle, which was the Mayan response.

Local Mayan said,"The date on the Mayan calendar merely refers to the end of a cycle. It is not the end of the Mayan long count calendar, which is endless. It’s the beginning of a new cycle, that’s all."

Mayan civilization reached its peak between 250 and 900 AD, and was a culture fascinated by mathematics, astronomy and the cycles of time. Its Long Count calendar began in 3114 BC and moves forward in 394-year periods known as bak’tuns. The winter solstice in 2012 marks the completion of the 13th bak’tun.