Christmas Eve To Mark The End Of The World? Mayan Apocalypse Now Scheduled For December 24

Whoops, Someone Messed Up Their Dates - The End Of The World Is TONIGHT

So didn't we feel silly on December 22 as we sheepishly crawled out of our underground bunkers, took off our tinfoil hats and got on with, well, living.

However, it looks like those pessimistic Mayans may have been a couple of days out on their calculations - for the apocalypse could be occurring on Christmas Eve.

The Mayan calendar's 14th baktun may not be until December 24

Yep, better open those presents early, for German researcher Nikoali Grube tells Spiegel Online that matching up modern calendars with Mayan predictions is not an exact science.

Grube, who is an expert on the interpretation of Mayan artefacts, says the end of the calendar's 14th baktun may not actually be until December 24.

Nevertheless, Grube emphasizes that whatever the exact date, the end of the baktun -- a period of time lasting 144,000 days -- represents the end of a era, not the end of the world. The change is comparable to the turn of a millennium.

In fact, Grube says, Mayan artefacts include many references to dates that stem far beyond December 2012.

"You find dates in Mayan texts that are thousands or millions of years into the future," he said.

Hope that bunker is still well stocked.

Take a look at some past predictions from around the world here:

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