About the Mayan Calendar

The Mayan calendar is an ancient system of timekeeping that was developed by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. This sophisticated calendar system reflects the Maya's advanced understanding of astronomy and mathematics.

The Mayan Calendar System

The Maya actually used several interconnected calendar systems, each serving different purposes in their society. The most well-known are the Tzolk'in (sacred calendar), the Haab' (civil calendar), and the Long Count calendar used for recording historical dates.

The Tzolk'in - Sacred Calendar

The Tzolk'in is a 260-day calendar that was used primarily for religious ceremonies and divination. It consists of 20 day names combined with 13 numbers, creating a cycle of 260 unique days. This calendar was considered sacred and was used to determine auspicious days for important events. Use our date converter to discover your personal Tzolk'in day sign.

The Haab' - Civil Calendar

The Haab' is a 365-day solar calendar that was used for agricultural and administrative purposes. It consists of 18 months of 20 days each, plus an additional period of 5 days called Wayeb', which was considered unlucky. The Haab' closely approximates the solar year.

The Calendar Round

The combination of the Tzolk'in and the Haab' creates a Calendar Round cycle of 52 years. This cycle was extremely important in Mayan culture and marked significant periods in both individual lives and the life of the community.

The Long Count

The Long Count calendar was used to record historical dates and track longer periods of time. It's based on a system of cycles, with the largest commonly used unit being the b'ak'tun (approximately 394 years). This calendar is famous for the 2012 phenomenon, which was actually just the completion of a major cycle, not a prediction of the end of the world.

Modern Usage

Today, many Maya communities continue to use traditional calendar systems alongside the Gregorian calendar. The Mayan calendar remains an important part of cultural identity and spiritual practice, while also fascinating scholars and enthusiasts around the world with its mathematical elegance and astronomical accuracy. Explore our important ceremonial days to see how these traditions continue throughout the year.

Our Mission

This website aims to make the ancient wisdom of the Mayan calendar accessible to everyone. We provide an interactive calendar experience that helps you understand and appreciate this remarkable timekeeping system. Whether you're a scholar, a spiritual seeker, or simply curious about ancient civilizations, we hope this tool enriches your understanding of Mayan culture. Visit our FAQ page if you have questions about how to use the calendar or understand Mayan timekeeping.