OK, besides Christmas and/or The End of the World, what else can we look forward to in December?

If the Mayans are right, there's not much point in hanging Christmas decorations this year; the world will end on December 21. Of course, there may be other explanations for this seemingly bleak prophecy. One such explanation is offered by this cartoon.

Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah) runs this year from December 8 to December 16.

Kwanzaa will be celebrated between December 26 and January 1. Festivus will be observed on December 23.

(Maybe.)

December is International Safe Toys and Gifts Month and Young Children's Safe Toys & Gifts Awareness Month. It's not hard to figure out the tie-ins here.

The connection between December and National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month should likewise be obvious -- unless you've already had too much holiday cheer. Just in case the Mayans are wrong, designate a driver. (And, no, Rudolph is not available for this purpose.)

Folks baking Christmas cookies are particularly reminded that National Handwashing Awareness Week will be observed this week from December 2 through December 8.

Usual Suspect brownielocks.com says the Halcyon Days will run this year from December 14 to December 18. But her math may be off. Wikipedia says there are seven Halcyon Days, on either side of the Winter Solstice. In mythology, these are days on which winter storms will not occur. The Blog of Days offers no warranty of any kind regarding same.

Finally, December is also National Fruit Cake Month. Pictured here is one of the roughly 30 fruit cakes in actual circulation in the continental United States (there are only about 30 in circulation at any given time, passed along from unsuspecting victim to unsuspecting victim).

The last new fruit cake was made in 1958, although there is talk -- threats, really -- of making some new ones if the number in circulation dips much below 20. Most old fruit cakes have been safely relocated to landfills, but others, though no longer in active circulation, are believed to be in use as door stops.

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Mayan calendar cartoon obtained from this site.