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While the Julian calendar came to the region when it was conqured by Spain in the 16th century, and the Gregorian calendar is now in general use, in a few communities some Native Americans of the area still use the ancient count of days as well.

All of the Mesoamerican cultures shared a 260 day ritual calendar, for example, the Tzolkin of the Maya civilization. In many Mesoarmeican cultures people were given the name of the day in this cycle on which they were born (sometimes in addition to another name).

This 260 day cycle ran concurrently with the solar year. These two calendars came together every 52 years.

This 52 year cycle, sometimes called a Calendar round, was very significant. Commonly elaborate rituals would be held at the end of each calendar round, with all fires extinguished, old pots broken, and a new fire kindled symbolizing a fresh start.

There was a belief in cycles within time, for example that if a significant event happened on a certain day in the 52 year cycle, a similar or related event was likely to happen on the same day in the next 52 year cycle.

This 52 year cycle was by far the most important for most Mesoamericans, with the apparent exception of the Maya elite until the end of the Classic Era, who gave equal importance to the Maya Long Count Calendar.

Other calendar cycles were also kept track of, such as a lunarFor other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. For other uses see Moon (disambiguation). The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. It has no formal name other than "The Moon" although it is occasionally called Luna ( Latin for moon to d calendar, as well as the cycles of other astronomicalAstronomy which etymologically means " law of the stars," (from Greek: + nomos) is a science involving the observation and explanation of events occurring outside Earth and its atmosphere. It studies the origins, evolution, physical and chemical propertie objects, most importanly VenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, named after the Roman goddess Venus. It is a terrestrial planet, very similar in size and bulk composition to Earth; it is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet" as a result of this similarity. Although all plane.

See also:

• Maya calendarThe Maya calendar is the most elaborate of the Mesoamerican calendars. As the Maya were very good astronomers and observers they had a complex series of calendars, including a Sacred 260-day calendar, called the Tzol'kin, a 365-day calendar called the Haa
• Aztec calendarThe Aztec calendar was the calendar of the Aztec people of Pre-Columbian Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica. The calendar consisted of a 365 day calendar cycle and

External link

• Strange Horizons Articles: Mesoamerican Calendars