What happened 21 December 2012?

On 21 December 2012, major events took place at Chichén Itzá in Mexico and Tikal in Guatemala. In El Salvador, the largest event was held at Tazumal, and in Honduras, at Copán. In all of these archaeological sites, Maya rituals were held at dawn led by shamans and Maya priests.

Why was the Mayan calendar so important?

The first thing to understand is that the Maya used three different calendars. The first was the sacred calendar, or Tzolk’in, which lasted 260 days and then started over again, just as our 365-day calendar refreshes once it hits Dec. 31. This calendar was important for scheduling religious ceremonies.

What is interesting about the Mayan calendar?

The Mayan calendars were centered on a 260-day ritual cycle and a 365-day calendar year. Following that, a prolonged cycle of 18,980 days, or 52 years of 365 days, was considered. A ‘Calendar Round’ was the name given to this lengthier cycle.

What is special about 21st December?

This Tuesday, December 21, is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning it’s the shortest day of the year. It’s not the earliest sunset (that was a couple of weeks ago) or the latest sunrise (that’s in early January), but it’s the day with the fewest hours between sunrise and sunset.

Is the Mayan calendar used today?

The Mayan calendar dates back to at least the 5th century BCE and it is still in use in some Mayan communities today. However, even though the Mayans contributed to the further development of the calendar, they did not actually invent it.

What are some theories about what happened to the Mayan empire?

Scholars have suggested a number of potential reasons for the downfall of Maya civilization in the southern lowlands, including overpopulation, environmental degradation, warfare, shifting trade routes and extended drought. It’s likely that a complex combination of factors was behind the collapse.

What caused the demise of the Mayan civilization?

When did Mayan civilization end?

Mysterious Decline of the Maya From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, something unknown happened to shake the Maya civilization to its foundations. One by one, the Classic cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned, and by A.D. 900, Maya civilization in that region had collapsed.

How does a Mayan calendar work?

It is a solar calendar, and it has 365 days. This calendar is divided into 18 months, which have 20 days each. The extra 5 days at the end of the year make up their own month, called the Uayeb or “nameless days”. On these 5 days, Mayan people would not leave their homes, as these were thought to be dangerous times.

Why is December 21st the longest day of the year?

21, at 10:59 EST. But even though there’s less perceivable daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice actually marks the longest day of the year in terms of the Earth’s rotation on its axis, according to NASA. Specifically, the “solar day” — measured on a sundial between noon on Dec. 21 and noon on Dec.

Will the world end on December 21 2012?

For years there was speculation that on December 21, 2012, the world as we know it would end. Some predicted that we’d be wiped out by a natural disaster like a giant tidal wave, an Earth-wide earthquake or a tremendous volcanic eruption. Others believed that on that day in December, the Earth would collide with a mysterious “Planet X,” causing

Did the Mayan calendar end in 2012?

The Mayan calendar ended one of its great cycles in December 2012, which has fueled countless predictions about the end of the world on December 21, 2012 at 11:11(UTC).

Will there be an apocalypse on Earth in 2012?

In response to theories about planetary alignments leading to an apocalypse on Earth on December 21, 2012, scientists say no planetary alignments are likely to occur in the next few decades. And even if they did, the effects on our planet would be negligible.

When does the 2012 grand cycle reset?

According to this logic, a new Grand Cycle would start on December 22, 2012. However, some people in the U.S. and Europe came to believe that the calendar would not reset itself.