Does the Mayan Calendar have leap years?

Question

Does the Mayan Calendar have leap years?

Answer 1

In a way, yes (although they would not have been called that, nor would they have been considered in the same manner).

In the common calendar, the Mayans celebrated New Year on the day of the December solstice.  Yes, they were able to determine that date quite precisely.

Since the average time for the Sun to return to this position is 365.24219 Earth-days, then most of their years would have had 365 days, while some would have had 366 days.  However, the cycle would have depended on the actual date of the solstice.  

In our calendar, leap years are determined from a formula that makes it possible to determine very far in advance the number of days in a year.

Answer 2

No.

Answer 3

Hi Hipockets,

thanks for the morning laugh!

I haven't the vaguest idea whether the Mayans also invented the 29th of February (or whatever they called it) or it was just us Europeans.

Google it? (is one allowed to say that on Yahoo?)

Tootle pip.

Karma Singh

Answer 4

The Mayan calendar do not have a leap year

Answer 5

i dont think so... because in our history subject there is no leap year being stated

Answer 6

who cares.

they're dead

Answer 7

no the mayans don't need leap years cause they are the most accurate astrologers and mathematicians in the world.

they measure time in specific periods,so far five have passed all ending in disasters.the scientists of our time say that the Mayans predict the end of the world on the 21 december 2012 or in their calendrics,13.0.0.0 Baktun.they were even able to calculate a solar eclipse 0.007seconds of a minute to 21,600 years so i think we should take the prediction that the world will end soon very seriously.  = ]

Answer 8

The Mayans are still very much alive. They maintained an independent kingdom up to the 17th or 18th century until defeated in a war with the Spanish.  But the people are still there and probably speak a version of the same language.  

They had a religious calendar of 260 days, a long count calendar starting a bit before 3100BC, which was just a count of days.  That count ends in 2012 because the Mayan counting system is awkward with large numbers.  

Their practical calendar had 365 day and no leap days, making it less accurate than the one introduced by Julius Caesar to the Roman empire slightly before the Mayans really got going.  

I have read though that the Mayan astronomers knew that the 365 day calendar was not quite correct.  It's possible that they  

added a few days here and there when things started to get  too far out of whack.

Answer 9

This is an important question!

The simple answer is NO!

This means that the prediction of the end of the world is out by 3 years 55 days.  

So, if you believe in that sort of thing, make a note in your diary to keep 28th October 2009 free!