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What Time Does Daylight Savings [sic] Time Begin?
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 10, 2012
Modified Mar 10, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 10, 2012
Modified Mar 10, 2012
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The most pillow-punching day of the year is (almost) upon us: daylight saving time begins early Sunday morning when 2 a.m. magically turns into 3 a.m. Unless of course you live in Hawaii, Arizona and the Midway Islands and Wake Island, all of whom have opted out of DST. This is a matter of life-and-death people, so take it seriously. And that starts with spelling the damn thing correctly: it's "daylight saving time," NOT "daylight savings time."
So how can you avoid any murderous feelings on Monday morning (other than calling in sick)? The Daily News recommends going to sleep 15-30 minutes earlier, WebMD recommends you get extra exercise in the middle of today and tomorrow (to tire yourself out), Washingtonian says hot showers are good, and we strongly recommend laying off the Red Bull and Jolt after dinner refreshments. Or you could just curse Benjamin Franklin—who is credited with coming up with the idea as a joke—and William Willett—who led the first campaign to implement DST.
DST was designed to give people more time in sunlight, and ostensibly to conserve energy—but no one is really sure if we get any benefits from the practice. A U.S. Department of Transportation study in the 1970s concluded that total electricity savings associated with daylight saving time amounted to about 1 percent in the spring and fall months—and that was offset by the increase in airconditioner use. Oh, a founder of the Daylight Saving Coalition once testified in Congress that fast-food restaurants DO sell more french fries in DST.
At least you don't have to worry much about actually setting your clocks in the digital age: "Public clocks, after all, have outlived their necessity," Washington Post wrote. "From our smartphones and computers to our microwaves and coffee makers, we are surrounded by clocks. If we need to know the time, we look down, not up." If you want to learn more about the history of DST, watch the fun video below.
Tagged
daylight saving time
daylight savings time
sunlight
time
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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