The Maya calendar is a system of calendars used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and in many modern communities in the Guatemalan highlands,Tedlock, Barbara, Time and the Highland Maya Revised edition (1992 Page 1) "Scores of indigenous Guatemalan communities, principally those speaking the Mayan languages known as Ixil, Mam, Pokomchí and Quiché, keep the 260-day cycle and (in many cases) the ancient solar cycle as well (chapter 4)." Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.Miles, Susanna W, "An Analysis of the Modern Middle American Calendars: A Study in Conservation." In Acculturation in the Americas. Edited by Sol Tax, p. 273. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1952.
The essentials of the Maya calendar are based upon a system which had been in common use throughout the region, dating back to at least the 5th century BC. It shares many aspects with calendars employed by other earlier Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Zapotec and Olmec and contemporary or later ones such as the Mixtec and Aztec calendars.
By the Maya mythological tradition, as documented in Colonial Yucatec accounts and reconstructed from Late Classic and Postclassic inscriptions, the deity Itzamna is frequently credited with bringing the knowledge of the calendrical system to the ancestral Maya, along with writing in general and other foundational aspects of Maya culture.See entry on Itzamna, in Miller and Taube (1993), pp.99–100.
Overview
The Maya calendar consists of several cycles or counts of different lengths. The 260-day count is known to scholars as the Tzolkin, or Tzolkʼin. For details and notes on adoption among the Mayanist community, see Kettunen & Helmke (2020), p. 7. The Tzolkin was combined with a 365-day vague solar year known as the Haabʼ to form a synchronized cycle lasting for 52 Haabʼ called the Calendar Round. The Calendar Round is still in use by many groups in the Guatemalan highlands.Tedlock (1992), p. 1
A different calendar was used to track longer periods of time and for the inscription of calendar dates (i.e., identifying when one event occurred in relation to others). This is the Long Count. It is a count of days since a mythological starting-point."Mythological" in the sense that when the Long Count was first devised sometime in the Mid- to Late Preclassic, long after this date; see e.g. Miller and Taube (1993, p. 50). According to the correlation between the Long Count and Western calendars accepted by the great majority of Maya researchers (known as the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson, or GMT, correlation), this starting-point is equivalent to August 11, 3114 BC in the proleptic Gregorian calendar, or September 6, 3114 BC (−3113 astronomical) in the Julian calendar. The GMT correlation was chosen by John Eric Sydney Thompson in 1935 on the basis of earlier correlations by Joseph Goodman in 1905 (August 11), Juan Martínez Hernández in 1926 (August 12) and Thompson himself in 1927 (August 13).Voss (2006, p. 138) By its linear nature, the Long Count was capable of being extended to refer to any date far into the past or future. This calendar involved the use of a positional notation system, in which each position signified an increasing multiple of the number of days. The Maya numeral system was essentially vigesimal (i.e., base-20) and each unit of a given position represented 20 times the unit of the position which preceded it. An important exception was made for the second-order place value, which instead represented 18 × 20, or 360 days, more closely approximating the solar year than would 20 × 20 = 400 days. The cycles of the Long Count are independent of the solar year.
Many Maya Long Count inscriptions contain a supplementary series, which provides information on the lunar phase, number of the current lunation in a series of six and which of the nine Lords of the Night rules.
Less-prevalent or poorly understood cycles, combinations and calendar progressions were also tracked. An 819-day Count is attested in a few inscriptions. Repeating sets of 9 days (see below "Nine lords of the night")See separate brief Wikipedia article Lords of the Night associated with different groups of deities, animals and other significant concepts are also known.
Tzolkʼin
The tzolkʼin (in modern Maya orthography; also commonly written tzolkin) is the name commonly employed by Mayanist researchers for the Maya Sacred Round or 260-day calendar. The word tzolkʼin is a neologism coined in Yucatec Maya, to mean "count of days" (Coe 1992). The various names of this calendar as used by precolumbian Maya people are still debated by scholars. The Aztec calendar equivalent was called Tōnalpōhualli, in the Nahuatl language.
The tzolkʼin calendar combines twenty day names with the thirteen day numbers to produce 260 unique days. It is used to determine the time of religious and ceremonial events and for divination. Each successive day is numbered from 1 up to 13 and then starting again at 1. Separately from this, every day is given a name in sequence from a list of 20 day names:
+ Tzolkʼin calendar: named days and associated glyphs Day Name Glyph 16th-century Yucatec Kʼicheʼ Mam Ixil Poqomchiʼ Reconstructed Proto-Chʼolan Tzeltal Chicomuceltec Chuj Jakaltek Qʼanjobʼal Reconstructed Classic Maya 01Imix Imix Imox Iimx Imux Imox Na-Chan Imox Imox Himox Imox Imox Imix (?) / Haʼ (?) 02Ikʼ Ik Iqʼ Iiqʼ Iʼqʼ Iiqʼ Ikʼ Ikʼ Iʼqʼ Ikʼ Iqʼ Iqʼ Ikʼ 03Akʼbʼal Akbal Aqʼabʼal Aqʼbʼaal Aqʼbʼal Aqʼabʼal Wotan Wotan Votan Woton Watan Watanh Akʼbʼal (?) 04Kʼan Kan Kʼat Kʼach Kʼach Kʼaat Kʼanan Kʼanan Khanan / Ghanan Kʼanaʼ Kʼanaʼ Kʼanaʼ Kʼan (?) 05Chikchan Chicchan Kan Kaan Kan Kaʼn Chaʼk-Chan Abʼak Abakh / Abagh Abʼak Abʼak Abʼak 06Kimi Cimi Kame Kameey Kamel Kemeeh Tox Tox Tox Tox Tox Tox Cham (?) 07Manikʼ Manik Kej Kyeej Cheh Keej Manichʼ Moxic Moxic Kej Chej Cheh Manichʼ (?) 08Lamat Lamat Qʼanil Qʼaniil / Qʼaneel Qʼanil Qʼaniil Lam(bʼ)at Lamat Lambat Lanhbʼat Lambʼat Qʼanil Ekʼ (?) 09Muluk Muluc Toj Chooj Choh Tooj Mulu(k) Mul Mulu Mulu Muluʼ Muluʼ 10Ok Oc Tzʼiʼ Txʼiʼ Txʼiʼ Tzʼiʼ Ok Uk Elab Elabʼ Elabʼ Elabʼ 11Chuwen Chuen Bʼatzʼ Bʼatzʼ Bʼaʼtzʼ Bʼaatzʼ Bʼatzʼ Bʼatzʼ Batz Bʼaʼatzʼ Bʼatzʼ Bʼatzʼ 12Ebʼ Eb Eʼ Eeʼ Eh Eeh Eb Ewabʼ Evob Eyubʼ Awnubʼ Ewubʼ 13Bʼen Ben Aj Aaj Ah Aaj Bʼin Bʼen Bʼeʼn Bʼeʼen Bʼen Ah C'klab 14Ix Ix Iʼx, Balam Iʼx Iʼx Iʼx Hix Hix Hiʼx Hiʼix Ix Ix Hix (?) 15Men Men Tzikin Tzʼikyin Tzʼikyin Tzʼikin Men Tzʼikin Tzʼikin Tzʼikin Tzʼikin Tzʼikin Men (?) 16Kʼibʼ Cib Ajmaq Ajmaq Ahmaq Ajmaq Chaʼbʼin Chabʼin Chabin Chabʼin Txabʼin Txabʼin 17Kabʼan Caban Noʼj Noʼj Noʼj Noʼj Chab ChikBrinton, Daniel G. “The Native Calendar of Central America and Mexico. A Study in Linguistics and Symbolism.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 31, no. 142, 1893, pg. 277. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/982967. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026. Chic Kixkabʼ Kixkabʼ Noh Chabʼ (?) 18Etzʼnabʼ Etznab Tijax Chiʼj Tiaxh Tejaax Itzʼanabʼ Chinax, Itzʼanabʼ Chinax Chinhax Chinax Chinhax 19Kawak Cauac Kawoq Kyooq Kaoq Kohoq Chahk Chahuk Kahoq Chawok Kaq Kajh 20Ajaw Ahau Ajpu Ajpuuʼ Junahpu Ajpuhbʼ Ajwal Ajwal Ajwaal Ajaw Ajaw Ahaw Ajaw
Some systems started the count with 1 Imix, followed by 2 Ikʼ, 3 Akʼbʼal, etc. up to 13 Bʼen. The day numbers then start again at 1 while the named-day sequence continues onwards, so the next days in the sequence are 1 Ix, 2 Men, 3 Kʼibʼ, 4 Kabʼan, 5 Etzʼnabʼ, 6 Kawak and 7 Ajaw. With all twenty named days used, these now began to repeat the cycle while the number sequence continues, so the next day after 7 Ajaw is 8 Imix. The repetition of these interlocking 13- and 20-day cycles therefore takes 260 days to complete (that is, for every possible combination of number/named day to occur once).
The earliest known inscription with a Tzolkʼin is an Olmec earspool with 2 Ahau 3 Ceh - 6.3.10.9.0, September 2, -678 (Julian astronomical).
Haabʼ
+ Haabʼ months: names and glyphsKettunen and Helmke (2020), pp. 58–59 in sequence Seq.Num. Yucatec name Hieroglyph Classic Period glyph sign Meaning of glyphThese names come from de Landa's description of the calendar and they are commonly used by Mayanists, but the Classic Maya did not use these actual names for the day signs. The original names are unknown. See Reconstructed Classic Maya Tzeltal (colonial orthography)Brinton, Daniel G. “The Native Calendar of Central America and Mexico. A Study in Linguistics and Symbolism.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 31, no. 142, 1893, pp. 294–302. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/982967. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026. Kʼicheʼ (colonial orthography)Brinton, Daniel G. “The Native Calendar of Central America and Mexico. A Study in Linguistics and Symbolism.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 31, no. 142, 1893, pp. 294–302. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/982967. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026. Kaqchikel (colonial orthography)Brinton, Daniel G. “The Native Calendar of Central America and Mexico. A Study in Linguistics and Symbolism.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 31, no. 142, 1893, pp. 294–302. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/982967. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026. 1Pop k'anjalawTzunTequexepualTacaxepual 2Woʼ ik'atBatzulTziba popNabey tumuzuz 3Sip chakatSi sacZacRucab tumuzuz 4Sotzʼ batsotz'Mucta sacChʼabCibixic 5Sek kaseewMocNabey mamUchum 6Xul chikinOlaltiUcab mamNabey mam 7Yaxkʼin yaxk'inUlolNabey likʼin kʼaRucab mam 8Mol molOquinajualUcab likʼin kʼaLikʼin kʼa 9Chʼen blackik'siho'mVehNabey pachNabey tokʼikʼ 10Yax greenyaxsiho'mElechUcab pachRucab tokʼikʼ 11Sak whitesaksiho'mNichquinTzizi lakamNabey pach 12Keh redchaksiho'mSban viniquilTziquin kʼihRucab pach 13Mak makXchibal viniquilCakam / CakanTziquin kʼih 14Kʼankʼin uniiwYoxibal viniquilBotamCakan 15Muwan muwaanXchanbal viniquilNabey zihIbota 16Pax paxiilPoinUcab zihKatic 17Kʼayab k'anasiiyMuxRox zihIzcal 18Kumkʼu ohlYan kinCheePariche 19Wayebʼ five unlucky dayswayhaab
The Haabʼ was made up of eighteen months of twenty days each plus a period of five days ("nameless days") at the end of the year known as Wayeb''' (or Uayeb in 16th-century orthography). The five days of Wayebʼ were thought to be a dangerous time. Foster (2002) writes, "During Wayeb, portals between the mortal realm and the Underworld dissolved. No boundaries prevented the ill-intending deities from causing disasters." To ward off these evil spirits, the Maya had customs and rituals they practiced during Wayebʼ. For example, people avoided leaving their houses and washing or combing their hair. Bricker (1982) estimates that the Haabʼ was first used around 550 BC with a starting point of the winter solstice.Zero Pop actually fell on the same day as the solstice on 12/27/−575, 12/27/−574, 12/27/−573 and 12/26/−572 (astronomical year numbering, Universal Time), if you don't account for the fact that the Maya region is in roughly time zone UT−6. See IMCCE seasons.
The Haabʼ month names are known today by their corresponding names in colonial-era Yukatek Maya, as transcribed by 16th-century sources (in particular, Diego de Landa and books such as the Chilam Balam of Chumayel). Phonemic analyses of Haabʼ glyph names in pre-Columbian Maya inscriptions have demonstrated that the names for these twenty-day periods varied considerably from region to region and from period to period, reflecting differences in the base language(s) and usage in the Classic and Postclassic eras predating their recording by Spanish sources.Boot (2002), pp. 111–114.