Prepare to “fall back” on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m., by setting your clocks back one hour.
This marks the transition from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, resulting in shorter daylight hours as we move into autumn and winter.
Most Americans will take the obligatory walk through their homes and change the time on every device with a clock, from the microwave to the coffee maker, often forgetting about that one clock tucked away around the corner or up high, which they don’t notice until days later.
The shift to Standard Time gives people the opportunity to add an extra hour of sleep to their schedule and enjoy more daylight for morning engagements.
In contrast, when we “spring forward” in March, we lose an hour of sleep to extend daylight into the evening hours, making it easier to enjoy outdoor activities after work or school as the days continue to lengthen.
In the Northern Hemisphere, these changes align with the shifting seasons, with the autumn equinox occurring on September 22.
This day marks the transition into fall when the balance of daylight and nighttime becomes nearly equal.
Hawaii, due to its location near the equator, and most of Arizona, because of its desert climate, do not participate in Daylight Saving Time. Other U.S. territories that do not observe Daylight Saving Time include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reported USA Today.
Adapting our daily lives to the natural rhythm of the seasons has been a long-standing tradition in the U.S. since 1918, but some wish to do away with the old.
The popularity of Daylight Saving Time has been debated since the beginning, with farmers expressing displeasure over the change as it gave them less time in the morning to gather and ready their goods before market, reported The Washington Post.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement on October 28 to “lock the clock” and make Daylight Saving Time permanent.
“It’s time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth. Let’s finally pass my Sunshine Protection Act and end the need to ‘fall back’ and ‘spring forward’ for good,” Sen. Rubio stated.