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Saturday 24 October 2020

Time For An Extra Hour Of Sleep : Daylight Saving Time !

On Sunday 25 October at 2am, Brits will be afforded an extra hour of sleep when the clocks go back, signalling that winter is well and truly on its way. The annual ritual marks the official end of British Summer Time, which begins when the clocks go forward an hour in late March. So where did the idea for changing the clocks come from and who came up with it, read on for more details. 


Well, "Daylight Saving Time (DST) is used to save energy and make better use of daylight. It was first used in 1908 in Thunder Bay, Canada.

What Is Daylight Saving Time?

DST is a seasonal time change measure where clocks are set ahead of standard time during part of the year, usually by one hour. As DST starts, the Sun rises and sets later, on the clock, than the day before.

Today, about 40% of countries worldwide use it to make better use of daylight and to conserve energy.

First Used in Canada in 1908

While Germany and Austria were the first countries to use DST in 1916, it is a little-known fact that a few hundred Canadians beat the German Empire by eight years. On July 1, 1908, the residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, today's Thunder Bay, turned their clocks forward by one hour to start the world's first DST period.

Other locations in Canada soon followed suit. On April 23, 1914, Regina in Saskatchewan implemented DST. The cities of Winnipeg and Brandon in Manitoba did so on April 24, 1916. According to the April 3, 1916, edition of the Manitoba Free Press, Daylight Saving Time in Regina “proved so popular that bylaw now brings it into effect automatically.”

Germany Popularized DST

However, the idea did not catch on globally until Germany introduced DST in 1916. Clocks in the German Empire, and its ally Austria, were turned ahead by one hour on April 30, 1916—2 years into World War I. The rationale was to minimize the use of artificial lighting to save fuel for the war effort.

Within a few weeks, the idea was followed by the United Kingdom, France, and many other countries. Most of them reverted to standard time after World War I, and it wasn’t until the next World War that DST made its return in most of Europe.

Who Invented DST?

If you think Daylight Saving Time is a good idea, thank New Zealand scientist George Vernon Hudson and British builder William Willett. In 1895, Hudson presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society, proposing a 2-hour shift forward in October and a 2-hour shift back in March. There was interest in the idea, but it was never followed through.

In 1905, independently from Hudson, British builder William Willett suggested setting the clocks ahead 20 minutes on each of the four Sundays in April, and switching them back by the same amount on each of the four Sundays in September, a total of eight time switches per year.

First Daylight Saving Bill

Willett’s Daylight Saving plan caught the attention of the British Member of Parliament Robert Pearce who introduced a bill to the House of Commons in February 1908. The first Daylight Saving Bill was drafted in 1909, presented to Parliament several times and examined by a select committee. However, the idea was opposed by many, especially farmers, so the bill was never made into a law.

Willett died in 1915, the year before the United Kingdom started using DST in May 1916. It is not known if he was aware that his idea had become a reality seven years prior to his death in a small town in Ontario.

Benjamin Franklin, the Father of DST?

Many sources also credit Benjamin Franklin with being the first to suggest seasonal time change. However, the idea voiced by the American inventor and politician in 1784 can hardly be described as fundamental for the development of modern DST. After all, it did not even involve turning the clocks. In a letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris, which was entitled “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light”, Franklin simply suggested that Parisians could economize candle usage by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning. What's more: Franklin meant it as a joke.

An Ancient Idea

Although modern DST has only been used for about 100 years, ancient civilizations are known to have engaged in comparable practices thousands of years ago. For example, the Roman water clocks used different scales for different months of the year to adjust the daily schedules to the solar time.

Daylight Saving Today

Daylight Saving Time is now used in over 70 countries worldwide and affects over one billion people every year. The beginning and end dates vary from one country to another."
These words, with all relevant research links taken from article here 

Well, as it's the weekend, and us Brits have enjoyed an extra hour in bed, why not take time to enjoy breakfast. I don't know how you start your day, some people love breakfast, whilst others just grab a coffee! We always take time to start the day with a lovely cooked breakfast. It may just be a simple egg with low carb sausage (the 97% meat variety) - or some scrambled egg with bacon or ham. The photo's and recipe suggestions featured in these posts here and here and here may give you some ideas for a delicious breakfast - doesn't that last one featured, 'low carb vegetarian breakfast casserole' look nice!

Wishing all readers an enjoyable weekend


All the best Jan

43 comments:

Tom said...

...yes, but it will get dark so early!

eileeninmd said...

We change our clocks on Nov 1st. I wish they would just stop doing the time changes.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Christine said...

I like this time change

Martha said...

Interesting post. I time changes always really mess me up for weeks afterwards. Have a great weekend :)

Bill said...

There was talk about discontinuing it but it hasn't happened yet.

Elderberry-Rob said...

The change in time will throw me, it always does, I'm an early to bed early to rise person - but I do love the cosy evenings and the feeling that we are drawing towards the end of this year.

pam nash said...

We don't go off DST until Nov 1. While I'll be glad to go back to standard time (DST messes up my internal clock), I'm worse than a small child about that hour change - everything is late or early. Still, I don't like DST - it is not supposed to be sunny and 9pm!

Sue said...

I'm not a fan of the long evenings, but I'll certainly take the extra hour in bed. Take care and have a great weekend xx

Lorrie said...

In Canada, we change our clocks back one week after you do. Some provinces don't change and others (like ours - BC) are hoping to get rid of the time change. I like the autumn one where we get an extra hour of sleep, but then it's dark so very early in the evening. Pros and cons either way.

DVArtist said...

Personally I dislike changing the clocks. There is no need for it as far as I am concerned. There are a few states in the US that don't change and it was nice living in one of them for awhile. We change ours on the 31. Enjoy your day.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

You mean we're doing that again this year?
:)

Maria Rodrigues said...

Yeah, tonight we are going to sleep another hour.
A very interesting post
Have a nice weekend
A big hug

Elephant's Child said...

We have moved our clocks forward. I firmly believe we start it too early and continue it for too long, but it is here.
I hope you enjoyed reclaiming that 'missing' hour (and your breakfast).

Shari Burke said...

I'm always so happy when we change the clocks back! I LOVE the long winter nights!

CJ Kennedy said...

The US turns clocks back next week. I wish we could just leave the clocks at DST all year.

Fun60 said...

I always feel sorry for those night shift workers who will have to work an extra hour tonight.

Divers and Sundry said...

I'd forgotten all about it lol

Betsy Banks Adams said...

A funny I read: I'm not turning my clock back an hour on Nov. 1st because seriously, none of us need an extra hour of 2020.....


HA HA HA
Betsy

happyone said...

Clocks change here in US next week.

Sally said...

My mom tried her best to get me to eat breakfast! I never wanted it so early; about ten o'clock I'd start wishing I'd followed her lead. I'm going to check out the breakfast ideas; and, actually we sometimes like breakfast for dinner. :)

Take care, so glad to see you again!

xoxo

Margarida Pires said...

Olá Eddie!
Informações tão interessante!
Um grande abracinho lisboeta!🍂🐾🍂
Megy Maia🌈

Rose said...

I like breakfast, too, though I don't always have it. Also, wish we were turning back the clock...that is next weekend for us.

peppylady (Dora) said...

Here it starts a day after Halloween, Nov 1st

dellgirl said...

OH thanks. I forgot about day light savings time, what with the virus and all. Thanks for the reminder. Just saying hello, stopping in to see what's new with you and to let you know I was here. I hope you had a nice week.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Stay Safe, my friend!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Enjoy your extra hour of sleep. Our times don't change for two more weeks.

Margaret D said...

Well that will be good having that extra hour, we have gone forward 1 hour.

roughterrain crane said...

I haven't experienced DST. This is a good idea to make our world better.

RO said...

I think I'll eat a little bit of cereal this morning to start off the day. Great info about Daylight Savings Time. A lot of people don't like it, but I simply adore when we "fall back" 1 hour because it seems like it fits the season. Sending lots of hugs, RO

linda said...

Thank you that was very interesting, I don't like it, short days are depressing and it means lights go on so much earlier so it's using more energy! and I hate having to take my clocks down twice a year it takes me ages to position them correctly and sometimes the hanger falls out or I put the clock back up and it falls off the wall taking the hanger with it haha. Luckily this time there were no such incidents, I don't bother changing my car clock so it will be telling the correct time now. We may have had an extra hour in bed but I'm not looking forward to 4pm. Enjoy your Sunday.xx

Iris Flavia said...

I hate it with all my heart. It´s no use these days and especially families with young children, farmers with animals suffer.

Martha said...

We'll be turning back the clocks on November 1st. Not looking forward to it getting dark really early!

Jenn Jilks said...

There have been murmurs in Ontario about stopping it!
We get up with the light, anyway.
I think it is a bit silly in this day and age, but who knows.
Thanks for mentioning Canada!!!!

Lady Fi said...

I had a lovely long sleep today, but I don't like the clocks going back because that means it gets dark very early on in the afternoon when kids come home from school.

JFM said...

I would like it better if the time could just be one or the other...always!
The body clock doesn't know what the heck is going on twice a year⌛⌚

Sondra said...

I wish the clock would be left alone, but I never get what I wish for so....LoL...It's just another silly out of touch thing that needs to be axed..
Have a great week.

NatureFootstep said...

as a retired person I hardly notice it. It is just annoying to have to adjust all my clocks.

carol l mckenna said...

Informative post ~ USA starts this in beginning of November ~ ^_^

Live each moment with love,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

p.s. Had death in family so am way behind in returning comments.

Conniecrafter said...

Our turn back time is November 1st here in the U.S., it is weird how it can be so different around the world and even state to state here.

Debbie said...

we have to wait until next weekend and this always throws me off a little. i guess most peeps welcome the extra hour of sleep!!

baili said...

i like this idea as it helps many ways

here time is arranged in October i guess
thank you for sharing interesting knowledge ,i did not know most of it

Susan Zarzycki said...

What an interesting post! Thanks for sharing!

Jeanie said...

We go back the week after you do. I'll miss the light later in the day.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Some of my birding friends operate on standard time all year, and just compensate for the hour when daylight savings time is operative, figuring that nature doesn't know about arbitrary time changes and the rhythm of life continues on the same level for every organism save humans. Some even refer to standard time as bird time!