Father Time is a mythical figure who is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device (which represents time's constant one-way movement, and more generally and abstractly, entropy). This image derives from several sources, including the Grim Reaper and Chronos, the Greek god Lord of time in Greek mythology. Around New Year's Eve, many editorial cartoons use the convenient trope of Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or "the Old Year") who typically "hands over" the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year (or "the New Year") who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.
Appearances in Christmas specials[]
Rudolph's Shiny New Year[]
Father Time shows Rudolph a map of the Archipelago of Last Years.
In Rudolph's Shiny New Year, Father Time appears as the keeper of the passage of time and also serves as the narrator of the story, relating the events to the audience. He lives in a castle located directly below a bright and shining star in the northern skies. Visitors to the castle are required to trek across the Sands of Time. One of his duties is to oversee the ending of the old year, and the crowning of the new year every December 31st.
Father Time calls upon Santa Claus, an old friend of his, to provide assistance when Happy, the Baby New Year, goes missing immediately following the events of the original Rudolph special. Santa, unable to search for Happy himself due to the still-foggy weather from the preceding night, sends Rudolph to Father Time's castle. There, Father Time explains the Baby New Year's importance to Rudolph and explains that Happy has likely run off the Archipelago of Last Years. At the end of the special, when Rudolph, Santa, and the personifications of past years return with Happy, Father Time crowns him as the year "19-wonderful".
In Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, a signed photo of Father Time can be seen falling off the wall during Rudolph's song, "No Bed Of Roses".
Father Time's original Animagic figure now resides in a private collection gallery.
Histeria![]
The Histeria! version of Father Time, dressed as Santa Claus.
The version of Father Time from the Warner Bros. animated series Histeria! appeared in the show's Christmas-themed sketch, "The Banks of the Delaware River" (featured in the episode "The American Revolution - Part I"). He appears dressed as a Salvation Army Santa Claus, accompanied by Big Fat Baby (the show's version of the Baby New Year), Loud Kiddington, and Fetch. Over the course of the sketch, Father Time provides part of the narration for a poem, set to the tune of The Night Before Christmas, about how George Washington crossed the Delaware River on December 24, 1776.
The Santa Clause trilogy[]
In The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Father Time appears as a member of the Council of Legendary Figures.
Mentions in other Christmas specials[]
In the two-part Danger Force episode "Down Goes Santa", it is stated that Father Time is married to Mother Nature, and that Santa and Krampus are their sons.
External links[]
- Wikipedia: Father Time
- Warner Bros. Entertainment Wiki: Father Time
- Histeria! Wiki: Father Time
- Other Holiday Specials Wiki: Father Time
- Father Time (Histeria!) at Behind the Voice Actors
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