As everyone knows, the Mayan long count will end on December 21, 2012. This is either the end of the world, the end of the world as we know it, or an excuse for an ENORMOUS party, depending on how you interpret Mayan rituals.
This is going to form the basis of this year’s Christmas Eve exchange. Cause if we wait for next year – it’ll be too late.
And like the various end of the world prophets, I’m not entirely sure how we should properly commemorate this event. I have three options in mind. I’d like input, suggestions, refinements, and reactions.
Option 1: The Mother of all Mayan parties
Getting to see the short count calendar switch over was a big deal – kind of like our century parties. Getting to see the long count one switch is an ENORMOUS deal. So get your person ready to party, Mayan style.
Possible gifts:
lots and lots of fine dark chocolate
severed heads of your enemies
a temple
stuffed Ixmucane doll
2 – Surviving the end of the world as we know it.
Colossal global convergence of environmental destruction, societal collapse, wars, famines, dogs and cats living together … total chaos. So get your person equipped to survive.
Possible gifts:
zombie survival guide
water purification tablets
box of twinkies
knitting supplies (see http://wondermark.com/491/)
3 – It’s the end of the world. Life. The Universe. And Everything.
An asteroid or rogue planet will collide with earth. The earth will experience a polarity shift and our magnetic field will collapse, instantly frying all life. The stars are aligning and Cthulhu will escape and walk the sunlit world. Well, maybe the universe won’t end, but our place in it is well and truly over. Prepare your person for the afterlife.
Possible gifts:
Armies of shabtis
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Shiva’s blessing
“preserving” spirits (don’t embalm me in the cheap stuff…)
OK – comments?
Option 2 and 3 sound the most interesting to me.
Option 2 gives more practical things. Things that might, you know, really be useful.
Option 3 gives more entertainment. And maybe a bit more creativity in the explanation.
And I have gift ideas for both, so I’m good either way.
I think there are great options for each one but I too lean to options 2 or 3.
However, nice yarn is always an appropriate survival tool. 😉
Lots of fun to be had with this.
Well, your dad likes option 2, not strongly, but his preferences are 2,3,1… with no comment as to why.
As for me, I can see all 3 being fun. I am amused by the idea of pretending to take the Mayan end of time (or at least the calendar) seriously. I have a feeling that, no matter which idea you go with, this Christmas exchange will be fun.
OK… I guess I lean slightly toward 2… but only slightly.