With the passing of the winter solstice comes much longer days, accompanied by shorter nights. This is a clear sign that standard time is nearing its end and it will soon be time to “spring forward”. In 2025, Daylight Saving Time will begin on Sunday, March 9, at 2:00 a.m. and end on Sunday, November 2.
Twice a year, people across most of the country must adjust their clocks. This is done to “spring forward” and enjoy an extra hour of sunlight during the summer months before it is time to “fall back” for the winter and return to standard time for the other half of the year. In that framework, clocks will be moved forward one hour and 2 a.m. will become 3 a.m.
“In the United States, this has the effect of creating more hours of sunshine at night during the months when the weather is warmer,” reports the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specifically, Daylight Saving Time lasts 238 days, which would be approximately 65% of the year.
In November, the same thing will happen as in March, but in reverse. Summer time comes to an end at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, so U.S. citizens will have to set their clocks back 1 hour. Also, 2:00 a.m. will become 1:00 a.m.
History of Daylight Saving Time in the United States
Daylight saving time was introduced in the United States under the term “Fast time” in 1918. However, it was appealed less than a year later, although cities such as New York, Pittsburgh and Boston continued to use it. It was then reintroduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 under the name “War Time,” which remained in use until 1945.
Despite its use, there were no uniform rules for time change until lawmakers passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966. Thereafter, government and local authorities began to agree on rules to govern this initiative.
Controversy over the time change
The time change is quite unpopular and questioned by different sectors. For years, Americans in the country have struggled between “moving forward” and “moving backward”. A clear example of this may be what happened in 2023, where in that year alone 27 bills were introduced in 29 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. None of these initiatives became law that year.
Another piece of data that may serve as an example of the unpopularity of the time change is a CBS News poll from 2022. This research involved 1,612 adults, and the majority indicated that they dislike the time change. Specifically, 46 percent maintained that they preferred Daylight Saving Time year-round, while 33 percent wanted Standard Time year-round. Only 21 percent expressed a preference for the current round-trip system.
A YouGov survey of 1,000 Americans in 2023 yielded results quite similar to the previous one. In this case, 62 percent of respondents said they no longer want to change the time twice a year. In addition, half of the U.S. citizens confirmed that they preferred daylight saving time and 31 percent were in favor of standard time.
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