La Cucaracha by Lalo Alcaraz for February 23, 2003

Transcript:

Eddie: What's the date today, Cuco? Cuco: Let me see... Eddie: Wait a minute... you're going to tell me the date by reading the Aztec calendar?! Cuco: Eddie, you're so woefully ignorant of your own history. The Aztec calendar, or sun stone, also known as Cuahxicalli (Eagle Bowl), was carved and dedicated in 1479 for the Aztec ruler Axayacatl in honor of their principal deity, the sun. Cuco: The Aztecs, or Mexica, counted time two ways, the Tonalpohualli, a 260-day cycle, and the Xiuhpohualli, a 365-day solar count. Cuco: The 260-day cycle of the Tonalpohualli was organized into 20 days, each of which was assigned a certain patron, hieroglyph and number. The 20 named days correspond with the numbers 1 to 13, forming new combinations of day names. Each 260-day cycle is composed of 20 weeks of 13 days, the Tonalpohualli is further divisible by 2, 4 and 5. Dividing by 5 gives us 52 days, 52 years being the Aztec century. Eddie: So what's the date?! Cuco: The 23rd.