According to the Gregorian calendar it is December 21, 2012 aka 12/21/12. According to the Mayan long count calendar (they had several) it is 13.0.0.0.0. It is the "seating of the 13th Bak'tun." So HAPPY 13th BAK'TUN! The Mayan long count calendar has rolled over, just as the Gregorian calender does every 365/66 days. H mm you could think of the Mayan long count calendar as a Julian calendar, the dates just go on and on . It is equally important day because the Mayan civil calendar has also realigned. This calendar, similar to the long count, but of much shorter duration has also realigned. Both calendars are like wheel cogs within wheel cogs and eventually, the cogs realign. The civil calendar takes 52 years to realign and when it does, it is known as the "binding of the years." As the binding could occur more than once in a Mayan's life time, it too is a time of renewal and celebration. The night before the binding, all the fires throughout the city are extinquished. The astrologer/astronomer sky watchers watch the sky in earnest. Their target is the pleiades (not known by that name to them, but readily identifiable in all cultures that have existed on this planet :)). The small distinct grouping of seven stars reaches zenith. Now the sky watchers watch with baited breath. If the star grouping continues on into the night, toward the west (our term) then the years are indeed bound and their world will continue for at least another 52 years. And so they do and so it does. A sacrifice is made (yeah human - removal of the heart yada yada ) and the fires are relit. And so it is for us, the plieades reached zenith and set in the west - once again, the years have been bound and now the 13th Bak'tun is seated. It is a time of renewal and starting fresh. Hope all your "new year" resolutions (and dreams) come true. P.S. Sorry, Mr. Jachmann, I won't be collecting on the policy. Fortunately I didn't pay the ridiculous policy premium in the first place. ALL bets are off.