# Dec. 21, 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885 "2009-10-15T08:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/1 "2009-10-15T08:41:54Z")
This is kind of a spin-off from the “what will you post” thread (which I also plan to answer), and probably should be in the IMHO section, but I am wondering a few things about that day. 1. How many people **won’t** wait to see if the Mayan calendar is wrong, and just go ahead and kill themselves? 2. Astromically, some people conjecture that it’s gonna be the sun that does us in. (And no, I ain’t gonna go to global warming again - that’s why this is thread is _here_!;)). If that’s the case, we’ll see “The End of The World As We Know It”, _coming_ at us gradually rather than suddenly, or am I wrong about that? 3. **"EOTW Parties"** : Man, I bet the bars are gonna be **full** on the day before AND the day OF! 4. Do you think people are taking this a little more seriously than Y2K? (Dude, I bought BAGS of cat food, litter, rice, and toilet paper, and it lasted me two years AFTER Y2K! I also stocked up on TP, just in case!:D) 5. Tough time for Law Enforcement/Military? Thanks! Q ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/2 "2009-10-15T08:49:35Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > 1. How many people **won’t** wait to see if the Mayan calendar is wrong, and just go ahead and kill themselves? No idea, but I do hope they won’t have reproduced beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/3 "2009-10-15T14:45:18Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Do you think people are taking this a little more seriously than Y2K? Well, [I’m certainly not.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535998) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/4 "2009-10-15T15:52:52Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > 1. **“EOTW Parties”** : Man, I bet the bars are gonna be **full** on the day before AND the day OF! > > Q people have parties just because it’s Tuesday or whatever. there was a news bit (saw on web days ago, don’t have URL) about a Mayan descendant that claimed it was a misinterpretation. seems there are other writings that go beyond that date. the date resulted from a tablet (or whatever) fragment where the full text or context is unknown. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/5 "2009-10-15T15:57:52Z")
I plan to really run up my credit cards the month before. I want to see if an AMEX card really has no limit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/6 "2009-10-15T16:12:41Z")
Something _will_ happen on Dec. 21, 2012. It will be the first day of Winter, that’s it. That is all that is significant about that date. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/7 "2009-10-15T16:14:20Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > Something _will_ happen on Dec. 21, 2012. > > It will be the first day of Winter, that’s it. That is all that is significant about that date. Hey! I take exception to that. (It’s also my brother’s 28th birthday.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/8 "2009-10-15T16:15:21Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > This is kind of a spin-off from the “what will you post” thread (which I also plan to answer), and probably should be in the IMHO section, but I am wondering a few things about that day. > > 1. How many people **won’t** wait to see if the Mayan calendar is wrong, and just go ahead and kill themselves? As long as they don’t kill any children, or take any unwilling adult with them, or inconvenience me, I’m perfectly okay with people killing themselves for this reason. Hell, even if they leave orphans behind. The kids are probably better off with different parents. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/9 "2009-10-15T18:24:13Z")
For myself, I’m planning on attending a few EoTW parties just for the sake of partying. Should be more opportunities for last chance nookie than I’ll know what to do with. (j/k) Gonna party like it’s… err… 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/10 "2009-10-15T18:55:54Z")
In the Nicholas Cage movie \*\*Knowing \*\* (not recommended, really - the first bit’s not bad, but the last 30 minutes are awful), the world ends on Oct. 19, 2009. Which is also my birthday. So, live it up for the next four days. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/11 "2009-10-15T19:26:50Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > No idea, but I do hope they won’t have reproduced beforehand. along those lines, my thought is “not nearly enough”. 😛 (Ooops, was supposed to quote the OP - question 1) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/12 "2009-10-15T22:47:09Z")
The correct interpretation anyway is that it’s the end of a cycle, NOT the end of the world. I expect there will be some loonies that off themselves, but mostly I expect it will be like 2000. Lots of noise, but little action. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/13 "2009-10-15T23:02:58Z")
… plans to hang around here till 2150, which _begins_ the “Age of Aquarius”!🙂 Cite: [Age of Aquarius](http://www.paranormality.com/age_of_aquarius.shtml) **Please** take that with “tongue in cheek”, okay?😉 I just recently saw a live performance of _Hair_ and always wondered about the word “dawning” in that song. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dec-21-2012/513885/14 "2009-10-16T00:12:22Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > The correct interpretation anyway is that it’s the end of a cycle, NOT the end of the world. Bingo. As I told my 12 year old nephew: “That’s like saying the world will end on December 31st because it’s the last day on the calendar.” Nope, end of cycle, start again.