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Father Time is a
personificationPersonification is an ontological metaphor in which a thing or abstraction is represented as a person.The term "personification" may apply to:...
of
timeTime is a component of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects...
. He is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an
hourglassAn hourglass, also known as a sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer, is a device for the measurement of time. It consists of two glass bulbs placed one above the other which are connected by a narrow tube. One of the bulbs is usually filled with fine sand which flows through the narrow...
or other timekeeping device (representing time's constant movement). This image derives from many sources, including the Grim Reaper and
ChronosIn Greek mythology, Chronos in pre-Socratic philosophical works is said to be the personification of time. His name in Modern Greek also means "year" and is alternatively spelled Khronos or Chronus .Chronos was imagined as an incorporeal god...
, the
GreekAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
god of time.
Because of their similarity in name as pertaining to parental figures, he is sometimes paired with
Mother NatureMother Nature is a common representation of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing features of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
/
EarthMother Nature is a common representation of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing features of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless...
as a married couple.
In various
New Year's EveNew Year's Eve or Old Year's Night is on , the final day of the Gregorian year, and the day before New Year's Day.New Year's Eve is a separate observance from the observance of New Year's Day...
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 YearThe Baby New Year is an American personification of the start of a new year, commonly seen in various New Year's customs, especially holiday cards and illustrations for store window displays....
(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).
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