Father Time

This article is about the personification of time. For other uses, see Father Time (disambiguation).

A 19th century depiction of Father Time, cradling Baby New Year.

Father Time is a personification of time. He is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, dressed in a robe, carrying an hourglass or other timekeeping device (representing time's constant movement). This image is culled from several sources, including the Holly King, the Celtic god of the dying year, and Chronos, the Greek god of time.

Because of their similarity in name as pertaining to parental figures, he is sometimes paired with Mother Nature as a married couple.

In various New Year's Eve customs, Father Time's image is used as the personification of the previous year (or "the Old Year"), who "hands over" the duties of time to the Baby New Year (or "the New Year"). In this case, his old age is emphasized (in particular, he may be depicted walking with the aid of a stick).

Sometimes, due to the relationship between death and aging, Father Time is associated with the Grim Reaper.

Cultural references

File:Elgin Watch Father Time.png

The Elgin National Watch Company's Father Time logo.

The 1980s television program The Smurfs occasionally featured Father Time as a supporting character. He was shown as the husband of Mother Nature in the series.

Father Time is mentioned in the movie Donnie Darko.

A metal figure of Father Time sits upon Lord's Cricket Ground in northwest London.

The 1975 stop-motion animated special Rudolph's Shiny New Year featured Father Time, voiced by entertainer Red Skelton.

In the 2001 film Joe Dirt, Dirt mentions in narration that a composite sketch of his father "turned out looking like Father Time." The sketch did, indeed, resemble popular depictions of Father Time.

In The Chronicles of Narnia, Father Time is a giant who spends the entire history of Narnia sleeping in an underground cavern (as revealed in The Silver Chair). He awakes to herald the end of Narnia at Judgement Day in The Last Battle.

In the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony, Chronos is a main character, the Incarnation of Time. Unlike other depictions of Father Time, Chronos is just an office, and any person may take it. Chronos also lives in a different timeframe, having time travel backwards for him instead of forwards, until the moment of his birth/conception, and has to forcibly will himself to live normally in order to interact with mortals and other Incarnations.

In the anime Cardcaptor Sakura, Father Time is depicted as an elderly man sitting with an hourglass in the Clow Card called The Time. The user of this card can influence the passage of time in the world: speeding it up, slowing it down, stopping it entirely, and even turning back the passage of time by a whole day. The Time is one of the more powerful of the Clow Cards and, with exception to The Nothing, can freeze other Cards.

In Flint the Time Detective, the Old Timer is a variation of Father Time.

In The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack, throwing a new year's eve bash will cause Father Time and Baby New Year to show up.

In Mario Van Peebles film, Posse (1993 film), "Father Time" is played by Big Daddy Kane.

Father Time appears as a character in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.

The Finnish power metal band Stratovarius have a song called "Father Time" on their album Episode.

Solo artist Richie Sambora has a song called "Father time" on his album Stranger in this Town

In the 2002 film The Santa Clause 2 and its sequel The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Father Time is portrayed as a member of the Council of Legendary Figures. He is portrayed in these films by Peter Boyle.

The comic strip Frank and Ernest depicts Father Time and/or Baby New Year at the end or beginning of every year.

The webcomic Sluggy Freelance depicts Father Time as an overseer of time and the holidays.

See also

• Grim Reaper
• Kāla (time)
• Chronos

External link

• Old Father Time