it's the pseudo-fans of Mayan "prophecy" that have it all screwed up in a bad way.

some of my best friends are Mayan and we are planning a BIG party this year on Dec 21.

on Dec 21, 2012 a B'ak'tun in the Maya calendar will end with a new B'ak'tun starting on Dec 22, 2012. now B'ak'tuns rarely end, each lasts 144,000 days (~394.5 years) and the Maya generally celebrated B'ak'tun endings with feasting and merriment. they also celebrated the closing of shorter calendar cycles: the 7,200 day K'atun (~19.7 years), the 360 day Tun endings. the 20 day Winal cycle was a minor holiday. there are longer Mayan cycles too running hundreds of millions of years.

so if someone says you the Mayan calendar "ends" this year, it simply isn't true!