Mayan Sacred Year Calendar

• 1). Keep in mind that the sacred year contains 13 periods of 20 days each.
  
  
• 2). Study the glyphs. There is a glyph for each of the 20 days in each period. Each of these glyphs, which represents a day, has a name. Every day of the 260-day calendar has its own name. The numbers of the 260 days start with the number one and progress to 13 and then repeat until the 260th day. The 20 glyphs are used in order just as the numbers, and they also repeat. For example, the first day of the year begins with number 1 and is paired with the first glyph, which is called Imix, making the first day 1 Imix. It takes 260 days for the calendar to repeat.
  
  
• 3). Learn the Mayan numbering system. The Mayan's based their number system on 20. The system mainly consists of a shell, which represents zero; dots, which each represent one and bars that each represent five. Thus, two bars equal 10, while four dots equal four. Put the bars and the dots together to equal 14.
  
  
• 4). Learn how to write a Mayan date of the sacred year. Just combine the glyph for a particular day with that day's number placed to the left side of the glyph.
  
  

The Vague Year Calendar

• 1). Learn the glyphs and their names for the vague year calendar. Each glyph represents a month of the vague year. The vague year contains 19 glyphs, representing 18 months plus one short month of five days.
  
  
• 2). Use numbers to indicate the days of each month of the vague calendar.
  
  
• 3). Write the name of the date. Place the numbered day on the left side of the name of the glyph for each month of the year. For example, the first month's glyph is called Pop. Thus, the first day of the first month is marked as 1 Pop.