Humans have been around on this earth for quite a while, developing different kinds of technology since the beginning. One of these technologies is the science behind keeping time and creating structured tracking methods. Perhaps the most complex we’ve arrived at is the calendar.

Throughout history, several societies have created their own calendar systems. From the ancient Babylonians to the Romans to our current calendar, it’s been a long process. Many of these have been expanded upon and made more mathematically accurate as calculations and astronomy improved. For example, the Gregorian calendar—what we use today—is an improvement of the Julian calendar.

The Mayan Calendar is one of these calendars that has withstood the test of time. Although it has not been used since the civilization fell, some details are surprisingly relevant to this day. Keep reading to see what can be learned from the Maya and their famous calendar system.

1. The Solar Year is Most Reliable

Ancient calendars tracked time in very different ways. This is only logical, considering each civilization came up with its own calculations and strategies. Two of the most popular ways to determine the length of a year were using the sun and the moon. These are called solar and lunar years, respectively.

Of course, using different planetary bodies to make mathematical calculations will give you two different answers. In this case, the number of days in a year varies by 11 days depending on whether you use the sun’s or moon’s cycles. As it’s now known, the solar year is the most accurate way to configure a year, but many ancient civilizations hadn’t decided on that yet. For example, the Babylonians used a luni-solar year while the Egyptians used a lunar year, although they both were still off. However, the Mayan calendar was ahead of its time in its calculations.

There are three parts to the Mayan calendar, but let’s focus on one for a moment: the Haab. This third of the calendar tracked the solar year, calculated down to 365 days. This is highly accurate, considering it was developed around the fifth century B.C. Think about it — our current year is also 365 days. For comparison, it wouldn’t be for another 400 hundred or so years until the Romans reached this accuracy. This proves that just because a society seems developmentally behind doesn’t mean they’re incorrect in their ways.

2. Societal Values Played a Big Role

Holidays are a big component to our calendar in modern times. Just think how November through January is considered the “holiday season” because of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Everywhere you go during and leading up to this time, there are constant reminders of the holidays approaching. There’s a clear social impact, from TV commercials to lights strung up on buildings.

The Maya also had holidays that were significant to their culture, and their calendar reflected this. In fact, you could say it was much more monumental because they dedicated one of the three parts to this. The Tzolk’in, or “Sacred Round,” is a calendar of 260 days that heavily revolved around special events. These consisted of religious holidays, royal events like coronations, and weddings.

The Western world did their own version of this, too, just within one complete calendar system. The Julian and Gregorian calendars were devised based on Christian holidays, particularly Easter. These two systems are so reliant on Easter’s date that this caused a loss of ten days when they switched in 1582. This shows that no matter the civilization, our collective values can play a significant role in society. Elements like religion and social celebrations can even affect how we keep time, as displayed by the Maya and the Christian world.

3. Names Have (Time) Meanings

Staying on the topic of the Tzolk’in for a moment, it actually has more than one purpose. Besides its calendar purposes, this is also where Mayan names came from. The numbers associated with ‘months’ within the Tzolk’in were used to name children. For example, a girl must always have the number nine preceding her name because this numeral was deemed a feminine symbol.

Additionally, the names of months were often used to name children. This practice has apparently been going on for a long time. Just think about how we continue to give people names from the calendar—like April and June, for example.

Whatever someone’s individual reasoning for naming their kid after a month, it shows that we’re connected to time in many ways. It’s possible that springtime names, like the ones mentioned above, came into use because they represent new beginnings. The birth of a child is undoubtedly a new beginning — for both the kid and the parents.

Regardless of the underlying reasoning behind the name choice, this is just one example of how time inserts itself everywhere. Time really does govern our lives, and it has since the beginning of civilization. The ancient Maya practices prove this is an element of human society that hasn’t changed even after thousands of years.

4. Our Time is Worth Celebrating

December 31 is many people’s favorite day — New Year’s Eve. This last day of the calendar year always calls for millions of people to celebrate annually across the globe. The holiday is all-around exciting, from the ‘ball-dropping’ in New York Times Square to having a New Year’s kiss. There are numerous parties, events, and gatherings everywhere to ring in the new year. This is a holiday that we, as humans, have been celebrating for a long time — even the Maya.

Two parts of the Mayan Calendar — the Haab and the Tzolk’in — each start over in a new cycle every 365 and 260 days, respectively. These are like two sets of ‘years’ whose endings were celebrated similarly to the Western New Year’s. The start of these new cycles was essential to the Maya, who believed strongly in the significance of endings and beginnings. Additionally, commencing new crop cycles that came with each 260-day Tzolk’in cycle were worth throwing celebrations and giving offerings.

With these kinds of celebrations, it’s worth noting that humans have long felt the desire to commemorate endings and beginnings. The start of a new year or calendar cycle gives the sentiment of new beginnings, which can symbolize rebirth. This is why New Year’s resolutions are so popular and why many people need to start fresh with a new year. Our time, and how it’s spent, is important, and having these holidays acknowledges that. Even thousands of years ago, the Maya knew this too.

Some Things Never Change

You’ve probably heard the phrase “humans are creatures of habit.” There’s a reason this statement is so popular — because it’s so true. Looking at history and previous ways of life can prove this. There are so many recycled and constant elements that are used within societies. Looking at the Mayan Calendar, you can see that some things never change. Humans have similar values and perspectives on what’s important in life. From using astronomy to tell time to celebrate New Year’s, we aren’t much different today from the Maya. Looking back and reminding ourselves of these facts is a valuable lesson we could all benefit from.

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