As we ready ourselves to 'fall back' an hour, we find out how daylight savings came about and when it might come to an end.
When do the clocks change in 2023?
In Ireland, the clocks went forward on the last Sunday of March (March 26, 2023) at 01:00 am, and will go back by an hour at 02:00 am on the last Sunday in October (October 29, 2023).
Where else do the clocks change?
As it stands, under EU law, the clocks in all member states of the EU go back an hour on the last Sunday in October and go forward on the last Sunday of March.
In 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of ending seasonal time changes, but EU institutions have not made progress on implementing the decision, and the European Commission has said that it does not plan to submit a new proposal on the matter to the Parliament.
In Canada, daylight savings time (DST) starts at 02:00 am on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
At the time of writing, the vast majority of the United States observe DST but exceptions include some of Arizona, Hawaii, and the overseas territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Why do the clocks change?
The clocks change in order to make the best use of the natural light as the earth orbits the sun, changing its exposure.
In winter, when it's naturally darker, time goes back by an hour, which means an extra hour wrapped up in bed. However, in summer, we enjoy the championed 'grand stretch in the evenings', as the clocks going forward an hour makes for longer evenings.
The impact of the change varies, with countries further from the equator, who experience more hours of darkness, benefitting most from the system.
Where did it all start?
In 1895, a New Zealand man named George Hudson supposedly came up with the basis for the idea to give him more time for hobbies after work. By altering the clock by two hours, the scientist hoped that he would be able to spend more time outside in the evening foraging for insects.
In Britain, a man named William Willett, who was backed by Winston Churchill, suggested the idea to make the most of the natural light. He wanted more time to enjoy the outdoors in the evenings and told the British government that Londoners were wasting much of the summer light asleep.
However, the British government didn't listen and his idea was rejected.
The idea came up again shortly after his death as countries tried to reduce their demand for coal in World War I by gaining more daylight hours.
While Willet's own country was slow to take him up on his idea after his death, the Germans decided to try it out in 1916 to allow for more light while they worked. The idea quickly spread to other European countries, as well as Russia and the United States.
After the war, many counties abandoned the idea, but the tradition continued in Ireland, parts of Europe, Canada, and the US.
Could DST come to an end?
On March 26, 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of removing Daylight Saving Time permanently from 2021. Much of this decision was based on an EU-wide survey, which saw the vast majority of respondents indicate that they would prefer to scrap the process.
This result may be somewhat skewed as 70% of all responses came from Germany, followed by France and Austria. However, the vote and survey are not final and they would have to be discussed with EU member states before becoming EU law.
Under the draft directive, member states would be able to choose whether to remain on "permanent summer" or "permanent winter" time.
The last clock change was due to take place in Spring 2021 but the proposal took a back seat as the world coped with the Covid-19 pandemic.
As it stands, EU institutions have not made progress on implementing the decision, and the European Commission has said that it does not plan to submit a new proposal on the matter to the Parliament meaning that no changes will be made in 2023.
A year ago, the Senate passed a bill for permanent daylight saving time — no more clock changes.
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 9, 2023
But it died in the House.
Now the bill is back, ahead of "Spring Forward" on Sunday.
Here's a thread explaining Congress' surprising fight over sunshine. https://t.co/1ygsQJsI83
The Sunshine Protection Act
In the United States, the US Senate advanced a bill in March 2022 that would bring an end to the changing of clocks, in favour of a "new, permanent standard time" that would mean brighter winter evenings.
However, it seems that many are divided as to whether the Sunshine Protection Act should move forward, with The Washington Post's Dan Diamond reporting that lawmakers are "noncommittal".
"The political logjam might be best encapsulated by Washington state, whose representatives control the two committees that oversee daylight saving time policy: Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), who leads the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R), who leads the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
"While the Washington state legislature and governor have pushed for permanent daylight saving time, both Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers have declined to take a position, and their staffs were similarly noncommittal about whether the committees would bring the bill up for review."
