As the annual time shift approaches, most parts of the United States and Canada are gearing up to return to standard time, with clocks scheduled to move back an hour early on Sunday morning. The transition officially happens at 2 a.m., when clocks are set back to 1 a.m. This shift grants an extra hour of sleep for many, while overnight workers experience an additional hour in their shifts. The return to standard time means earlier sunrises, but also earlier sunsets, ushering in the shortest days of the year over the next six weeks.
For many people, automated and electronic devices, like smartphones and computers, will adjust to the new time on their own. However, time will still need to be manually changed on some appliances, such as older microwaves, stoves, and certain car clocks. A few may relate to the sentiment of a writer who noted, “I still haven’t fixed my stove, which has been blinking an incorrect time since a power outage back in July, so that ship has sailed.”
The History of Daylight Saving Time
The concept of daylight saving time dates back to 1784, when Benjamin Franklin, in a lighthearted jest, suggested the practice. In a satirical letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris, Franklin humorously calculated how much Parisians could save on candles if they adjusted their schedules during the winter.
Germany became the first country to officially implement daylight saving time in 1916, followed by the United States in 1918. Initially, it was met with resistance from farmers, who found the change inconvenient as it limited the morning hours available to harvest and prepare goods for market openings.
Although the concept had been introduced, a nationwide daylight saving time law didn’t go into effect in the U.S. until 1966. Before that, during the 1940s and ’50s, local governments were free to set their own schedules, leading to widespread confusion, particularly in the transportation sector. In response, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established consistent dates for daylight saving time across the country, while allowing states to opt out as long as their choice was uniform statewide. Interestingly, the U.S. Department of Transportation was assigned the task of enforcing this legislation to ensure consistent timekeeping.
Today, most states observe daylight saving time and participate in the annual “fall back” on the first Sunday in November. However, there are exceptions. Arizona, Hawaii, and U.S. territories like American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all opt out. Arizona’s time practice is especially unique. While the state largely observes standard time year-round, the Navajo Nation, which covers a significant portion of Arizona, still participates in the daylight saving time change.
The Debate: Should We Stop Changing Clocks?
The tradition of changing clocks twice a year has long sparked debate, with many Americans expressing a preference to end the practice. There have been multiple attempts in Congress to make daylight saving time permanent, but most efforts have stalled.
Additionally, there is a regional push to adopt a different time zone for certain areas in the Northeast. In states like Rhode Island, Connecticut, and parts of Massachusetts, many advocate for a move to Atlantic Standard Time. This shift would mean cities such as Boston and Providence would share the same time zone as Nova Scotia, potentially eliminating early winter sunsets before 4:30 p.m. “Boston’s earliest sunsets happen at 4:11 p.m. during the first week in December, even though sunrises creep before 7 a.m.,” according to proponents of this proposal, which gained some traction in 2016.
However, for those in northern regions like Utqiagvik, Alaska, the impact of daylight saving time is minimal. In Utqiagvik, the northernmost town in the United States, the sun sets for a period lasting 62 days, and no time change can alter that.