Sunshine in England is cause enough for celebration. But a bright golden morning on the winter solstice on the day the world was meant to end is definitely a reason to rejoice.

And at Stonehenge this morning, as the first honey-orange sliver of the sun rose above the horizon, the Druids, the New Agers, the ferals, the farmers, and us were all rejoicing.

We stood with a thousand people and cheered the start of a new day, a new season, a new year, and a new Baktun. In the embrace of this 5000-year-old monument that is a testament to the ingenuity of humanity, it was both profound and poignant that we should be applauding the continuing circle of life.

As the drums played, the hippies chanted and danced, and the sunbeams blazed the ancient stones, I realized that while I never truly expected the world to end today, I’m really glad it didn’t.