# December 21St 2012 > December 21st 2012 is a 2009-origin apocalypse hoax meme based on a misinterpreted Mayan Long Count calendar cycle, amplified by Roland Emmerich's disaster film and escalating conspiracy theories that became an enduring internet punchline when nothing happened. December 21st, 2012, was the date that a misread Mayan calendar told the internet the world would end. Based on the conclusion of a 5,126-year cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, the supposed doomsday prediction became one of the biggest meme events of the early 2010s, fueled by Roland Emmerich's blockbuster disaster film *2012* and years of escalating internet jokes, conspiracy theories, and genuine panic. When the date passed without incident, the whole thing became an enduring punchline about hype cycles and failed prophecies. ## Origin The roots of the 2012 prediction trace back to academic Mayan studies. In 1957, Mayanist Maud Worcester Makemson wrote that completing a Great Period of 13 bʼakʼtuns "would have been of the utmost significance to the Maya"[1]. In 1966, Michael D. Coe's book *The Maya* suggested that "Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world" on the final day of the 13th bʼakʼtun[1]. This interpretation was repeated by scholars through the early 1990s and eventually leaked into popular culture. The Long Count calendar's "zero date" corresponds to August 11, 3114 BC, and the completion of 13 bʼakʼtuns fell on December 21, 2012[12]. Mayan scholars were quick to push back. Mark Van Stone called the notion of a Great Cycle ending "completely a modern invention"[1]. Sandra Noble of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies was blunt: "The 2012 phenomenon is a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in"[1]. The prediction got its biggest boost from Roland Emmerich's *2012*, released November 13, 2009[5]. The disaster epic grossed $791.2 million worldwide and was a box office sensation, particularly in China where it drove widespread belief in the Mayan apocalypse[2]. The film's viral marketing campaign included a fake lottery website where viewers could register for a number to "save them" from the disaster[5]. - **Platform:** New Age communities (belief system), internet forums and social media (meme spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created from Mayan calendar misinterpretation); Roland Emmerich (director of *2012* film that amplified the concept) - **Date:** 2009–2012 (peak December 2012) ## Overview The December 21st, 2012 meme centered on the widely circulated belief that the world would end when the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar completed its 13th bʼakʼtun cycle. The date became a lightning rod for apocalyptic predictions, New Age spiritual awakening theories, conspiracy content, doomsday prepper culture, and an enormous wave of internet humor. Memes ranged from sincere panic to absurdist jokes about bucket lists, last meals, and "see you on the other side" posts. The format typically involved either mocking the prediction or pretending to take it seriously for comedic effect. What made December 21st, 2012 such fertile meme ground was the long buildup. Years of internet discussion, a $791 million disaster movie, NASA fielding hundreds of panicked phone calls daily, and businesses slapping "end of the world" branding on everything created a slow-rolling wave that crested on December 21st and immediately collapsed into a global punchline on December 22nd. ## How It Spread After *2012* hit theaters, doomsday memes spread rapidly across every major platform. The prediction had already circulated on conspiracy forums and New Age websites, but the film injected it into mainstream internet culture. By 2012, the meme was everywhere. NASA reported being "swamped" with 200 to 300 phone calls and emails per day from people asking questions like "Is the sun going to explode?" and "Will a rogue planet crash into Earth?"[3]. The agency's normal volume was about 90 contacts daily[3]. NASA scientist David Morrison told HuffPost the whole thing was "a hoax, based on absolutely no factual information"[3]. The agency even pre-published a press release dated December 22 titled "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday"[3]. The Nibiru cataclysm theory, originally proposed by Nancy Lieder in 1995, became closely linked to December 21st[8]. Lieder had claimed a rogue planet would sweep through the inner solar system, originally predicting May 2003 before shifting the date[8]. By the late 2000s, the Nibiru narrative had merged with the Mayan calendar prediction, adding another layer of apocalyptic content to the meme ecosystem[8]. Businesses jumped on the bandwagon with gleeful opportunism. T.G.I. Friday's hosted "Last Friday" celebrations in six U.S. cities[6]. Carl's Jr. built a monstrous 12x12x12 burger (twelve patties, twelve cheese slices, twelve bacon strips) and posted it with hashtags like #burgergeddon and #baconpocalypse, drawing over 21,000 likes on Facebook[6]. The Curtis Hotel in Denver offered a "Party Like There's No To-Maya" package: for $12,021, you and 24 friends got an entire hotel floor, a private party, gas masks, freeze-dried food, and water-purification tablets[4]. The Rosewood Mayakoba resort in Mexico offered a package for $79,000 per couple[4]. In China, the reaction was more extreme. Over 93 people across seven provinces were detained for spreading doomsday rumors[2]. A man who slashed 22 schoolchildren in Henan province was described as "psychologically affected" by doomsday rumors, according to Xinhua[2]. Shoppers in Sichuan province panic-bought candles, convinced Friday would bring three consecutive days of darkness[2]. Authorities in Qinghai province arrested 37 members of the Church of the Almighty God, a group that had proclaimed the Communist Party was "the Big Red Dragon" and called for its destruction[9]. Chinese entrepreneurs also saw opportunity. Yang Zongfu from Zhejiang province built "Atlantis," a massive survival ark, and received 21 orders, with the most expensive selling for five million yuan (roughly $800,000)[7]. Another farmer in Xinjiang spent about £100,000 building a barge-like ark from 60 tonnes of steel[2]. In Michigan, 33 schools closed due to Mayan doomsday fears[10]. ## How to Use The December 21st, 2012 meme typically appears in a few formats: 1. **Nostalgia posts** referencing the collective experience of "surviving" the Mayan apocalypse, often with screenshots of old social media posts from the date 2. **Comparison memes** contrasting the 2012 doomsday with actual bad events (especially popular during 2020), using formats like "2012: the world is ending! / 2020: the world is actually ending" 3. **Failed prediction references** invoking December 21st whenever a new apocalyptic claim surfaces ("remember when we were supposed to die in 2012?") 4. **Ironic bucket list posts** listing absurd things to do before the world ends 5. **"Nothing happened" reaction memes** showing the anticlimax of waking up on December 22nd ## Cultural Impact The 2012 phenomenon had an outsized impact on both internet culture and the real world. Roland Emmerich's film alone grossed nearly $800 million[5], and the prediction drove measurable economic activity through hotel packages, themed merchandise, survival gear sales, and restaurant promotions across multiple countries[4][6]. NASA had to dedicate significant staff time to debunking the prediction, fielding hundreds of calls daily for weeks[3]. The agency took the unusual step of publishing multiple educational resources and pre-dating a press release to December 22nd[3]. In China, the prediction had genuine public safety consequences. Beyond the 93+ arrests for spreading rumors, school attacks and panic buying were directly attributed to doomsday fears[2]. The Chinese government's crackdown on the Church of the Almighty God, which exploited the prediction for recruitment, involved raids across seven provinces[9]. The festivities in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, where countries celebrated the calendar completion at sites like Chichén Itzá and Tikal, represented a more positive cultural response[1]. Indigenous Maya leaders like Ricardo Cajas pushed back against the apocalyptic narrative, emphasizing that the date marked a celebration, not an ending[1]. Mayan scholars expressed frustration that the phenomenon misrepresented their culture. As one archaeologist noted about a newly discovered calendar at Xultún: "The ancient Maya predicted the world would continue. We keep looking for endings. The Maya were looking for a guarantee that nothing would change. It's an entirely different mindset"[1]. ## Fun Facts - NASA's pre-published press release dated December 22, 2012, titled "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday," is one of the few times the agency issued a document debunking an event before it happened[3] - The most expensive Mayan apocalypse hotel package was $79,000 per couple at the Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico[4] - Over 13,000 people gathered at the Egyptian pyramids to meditate as the calendar turned over[11] - Carl's Jr. built a 12-patty, 12-cheese, 12-bacon burger for the occasion and tagged it #burgergeddon[6] - Michigan closed 33 schools due to Mayan doomsday fears spreading among parents[10] - A Chinese farmer in Xinjiang spent his entire life savings (about £100,000) building a 60-tonne steel survival barge[2] ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the December 21st, 2012 meme? It's an internet meme built around the widely circulated belief that the world would end on December 21, 2012, based on the conclusion of a 5,126-year cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar[1]. The prediction spawned years of jokes, apocalypse prep content, and marketing tie-ins before becoming a massive punchline when nothing happened. ### Where did the December 21st, 2012 prediction come from? The prediction originated from a misinterpretation of the Mayan Long Count calendar, which completed its 13th bʼakʼtun on that date[12]. Academic speculation from the 1960s was amplified by New Age communities and the 2009 blockbuster film *2012*[5]. ### What does the December 21st, 2012 meme mean? The meme is used as shorthand for failed doomsday predictions and overhyped apocalyptic thinking. It often surfaces whenever a new end-of-the-world claim circulates, serving as a reminder that "we've been through this before"[3]. ### How do you use the December 21st, 2012 meme? The most common use is referencing the date when mocking new doomsday predictions, making nostalgia posts about "surviving" the Mayan apocalypse, or using comparison formats that contrast 2012's fake apocalypse with genuinely bad events[10]. ### Is the December 21st, 2012 meme still popular? The specific date has become a classic reference point in internet culture. While the peak of 2012 doomsday content is long past, the meme resurfaces annually around December 21st and whenever new apocalyptic predictions make the rounds[3]. ### Did the Maya actually predict the end of the world? No. Mayan scholars consistently stated that no classic Maya accounts forecast doom. Mark Van Stone said the idea of a Great Cycle ending was "completely a modern invention," and other researchers emphasized the date would have been a cause for celebration, not fear[1]. ### How did NASA respond to the 2012 doomsday prediction? NASA was flooded with 200-300 calls and emails daily from concerned citizens asking about planetary collisions and solar explosions. The agency published educational resources and pre-dated a press release to December 22nd titled "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday"[3]. ### What was Roland Emmerich's *2012* film? A 2009 disaster film starring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor that depicted the Mayan apocalypse with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and global flooding. It grossed $791.2 million worldwide and was a major driver of public awareness of the 2012 prediction[5]. ### What happened in China because of the 2012 prediction? Chinese authorities detained over 93 people across seven provinces for spreading doomsday rumors. The Church of the Almighty God exploited the prediction for recruitment, shoppers panic-bought candles in Sichuan, and entrepreneur Yang Zongfu sold custom survival arks for up to five million yuan[2][7][9]. ### What businesses capitalized on the Mayan apocalypse? T.G.I. Friday's hosted "Last Friday" parties, Carl's Jr. created a 12x12x12 burger, hotels offered packages ranging from $99 to $79,000 per couple, and tire companies ran Mayan-themed sweepstakes[4][6]. ### What was Project Mayhem 2012? An Anonymous-linked digital activism project that used the December 21st date as a rallying point for synchronized leaking of government and corporate information, framed as a "re-evolution" rather than an apocalypse[13]. ### What is the Nibiru cataclysm and how does it connect to 2012? The Nibiru cataclysm was a separate doomsday theory proposed by Nancy Lieder in 1995, claiming a rogue planet would pass near Earth. After her original May 2003 date failed, the theory merged with the Mayan calendar prediction, making December 21, 2012 one of the most frequently cited Nibiru dates[8]. ## References 1. [December 21st, 2012 | Spirit Science]() 2. [Qinghai officials crack down on Church of Almighty God cult | South China Morning Post]() 3. [Doomsday ark maker receives 21 orders |Photo Story |chinadaily.com.cn]() 4. [2012 phenomenon]() 5. [December 21st, 2012 - Urban Dictionary]() 6. [Mesoamerican Long Count calendar - Wikipedia]() 7. [2012 (film) - Wikipedia]() 8. [2012 phenomenon - Wikipedia]() 9. [Nibiru cataclysm - Wikipedia]() 10. [Science News, Latest Scientific Discoveries | Live Science]() 11. [Project Mayhem 2012 'Dangerous Ideas #1 and #2' - Pastebin.com]() 12. [U.S. News: Latest Breaking Stories and Video on National Issues | NBC News]() 13. [Hotels promote Mayan prophecy and apocalyptic packages]() 14. [Project Mayhem 2012 Tyler - Pastebin.com]() 15. [Chinese authorities arrest dozens for spreading Mayan apocalypse rumours | China | The Guardian]() 16. [Carl's Jr., T.G.I. Friday's use Mayan apocalypse as marketing - Los Angeles Times]() 17. [NASA Swamped With End-Of-The-World Phone Calls About Mayan Apocalypse | HuffPost Weird News]() 18. [Downtown Denver Boutique Hotel | The Curtis Hotel]() 19. [CNET: Product reviews, advice, how-tos and the latest news]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/december-21st-2012 Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library