Father Time is about to bid farewell to 2024

On New Year’s Eve, as the clock strikes midnight, Father Time will pass the torch to Baby New Year, who welcomes the world to 2025. That’s the way it has worked since the beginning of time.

Father Time is usually depicted as a gentle, elderly, bearded man who is dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device. (The scythe represents the harvest, which is emblematic of the cycle of life.)

 

Baby New Year is usually shown as a diapered infant wearing a sash with the new year printed on it. Father Time and Baby New Year thus serve as metaphors for the passing of one calendar year and the birth of a new one.

The child immediately begins the aging process to emerge as Father Time 12 months later.

In Greek mythology, Chronos played a significant role; he was the leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans, who is the “personification and keeper of time.” One of his main jobs was to make sure time moved forward at a constant rate. Chronos turned the zodiac wheel. His image may have evolved into Father Time.

 

Other historians, including Kim Berkley of Fort Myers, Fla., believe Father Time descended from the Holly King, a character in Celtic mythology who ruled over the winter with its cold air and darkness. The Holly King is involved in a constant tug-of-war struggle with his brother, the Oak King, who preferred the warmth and long days of summer.

 

The red holly berries that adorn the Holly King’s crown symbolize the plant’s ability to not only survive but thrive in the depths of winter. The holly has been granted magical properties during the holiday season,” Berkley said.

Oak trees, on the other hand, take a “botanical leave” during winter, going through a period of dormancy or hibernation, to reawaken in the spring.

There are other symbols that are also associated with New Year’s holiday, according to Carrie McBride of the New York City Public Library.

“Vintage holiday postcards from the early 20th century, are rife with good luck symbols – four-leaf clovers, horseshoes, pigs and mushrooms,” she said.

“Because of their relative rarity compared to the three-leaved shamrock, it has long been considered lucky to find a four-leaf clover, and having one is thought to protect against bad spirits.”

“The association of horseshoes and good luck may be tied to their original material, iron, which was thought to drive away evil, or may be tied to their crescent shape symbolizing pagan moon deities,” McBride noted.

“In many cultures, pigs are a common symbol of good luck and represent prosperity and wealth. Mushrooms have many connections to the winter solstice,” she added. The best ones seem to grow under conifer trees and are a symbol of good fortune and blessings at the New Year.

Other more contemporary New Year’s images and symbols include mistletoe, a good luck charm that is also a catalyst to encourage kissing among partners.

Candles are another traditional symbol of New Year, as the smoke from the candles would rise and reach the heavens above. This would ensure that God will answer their secret prayers said over flames of the candles, which spread light, cheer and warmth around.

Better yet, build a bonfire and invite the entire community for dancing and singing.

The tradition of consuming grapes on New Year’s Day originated in Italy. The popular saying goes: “Eat grapes on New Year’s Day and you’ll be counting money the rest of the year.”