The Mayan Calendar

The calendar of the ancient Maya is more accurate than our present-day Gregorian calendar. However, the Mayan calendar system also appears to be quite complicated.

Here’s a bit of what I understand about it:

* A day is called a “kin.”
* It operates on a mathematical system of 20. (Omathematical system is a system of 10)
* A Mayan month is 20 days long and is called a “uinal.”
* A Haab or Tun is the name of the year-long calendar. It is made up of 18 uinals plus 5 days or 6 in a leap year. That’s 18 x 20 + 5 or 360 + 5 + 365 days.
* The Tzolkin is another calendar made up of 13 uinols or 13 x 20 = 260 days. The Tzolkin has been used by the Maya even to this day. It is a ceremonial calendar of religious observances.
* The Long Count Calendar measures an era or 26,000 years. It fell into disuse even before the Spaniards arrived in Yucatan in the 1500s.