Daylight Saving Time

"An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts. We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later." -Winston Churchill

     Here it is only the second weekend of March and we’re springing forward.  We would normally wait for the first Sunday in April to set our clocks ahead but a new Federal Law has most of the United States observing Daylight Saving Time from now until the first Sunday in November.

     Daylight Saving Time isn’t a new concept and has been observed since the early 1900’s.  No state is required to follow Daylight Saving Time but the Uniform Time Act of 1966  does require that if we are going to observe Daylight Saving Time, it must be done uniformly.  There are tons of interesting facts about Daylight Saving Time on this website.  

   The main reason Daylight Saving Time is observed is to conserve energy.  The use of electricity is highest during the evening hours when people are at home and the sun is going down.  By extending the daylight an hour into the evening it is said we save about 1% of the total electricity used.  Not only are less lights and appliances used but also people tend to stay outside longer when it is light later into the day.  Other reasons for Daylight Saving Time include less crime and fewer traffic accidents.

     What does this mean for me?  I will be getting the kids up for school in the dark again, but not for long.  We’re gaining precious minutes of daylight each day and before we know it there will be more hours of daylight than darkness; yet another Spring milestone.