December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 16 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday (58 in 400 years each) than on Sunday or Monday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Wednesday or Friday (56).
It’s rare that December 15th falls on a Friday. It only happens 56 times every 400 years according to…ummm…something I read.
Anyway, the rare quality of this day has inspired me to write about Nazca drawings (or lines).
The lines are in southern Peru just over 200 miles southeast of Lima, near the town of Nasca. They boast over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, 70 animal shapes (birds, fish, llamas, jaguars, and monkeys) and plant designs – some up to 1,200 feet long (as large as the Empire State building).
Because the location’s isolation and dry, windless climate is pretty stable, the distinct white lines are relatively unchanged. However, interestingly, they can only be seen from the high surrounding foothills and from planes.
This boggles the mind. Imagine being able to create something so complex – but you can only see your work from above? I can’t even imagine that. The lines are a mystery to many and have been depicted in various movies Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, among them.
On a final note, they were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.