Maya and New Agers praise the new dawn at Mexico’s Chichen Itza (PHOTOS)

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico — Was it just another solstice marking the beginning of winter? Or the dawn of a new era, as predicted by Maya priests?

Whatever happened on Dec. 21, 2012, the world did not end.

GlobalPost visited one of the most sacred sites of the Maya world, Chichen Itza. At dawn as clouds shrouded the sky above, tourists, New Age folks and local indigenous people converged on the site to mark what for them was a momentous day.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!