Spring Forward: Daylight Saving Time Is Here

Sometime, likely after dinner Saturday and between breakfast Sunday, we'll be taking the annual great leap forward. The time, it is a-changing. Daylight Saving Time will be back in force, giving most people across the country the opportunity to lose an hour of sleep. Or, they can go to bed at their usual hour, sleep the usual number of hours — only to wake up an hour later than they did on Saturday.

For sticklers, the official time to set clocks forward by an hour is 2 a.m. Sunday morning. There are exceptions. Not all U.S. states pay attention to the time change. All of Hawaii and most of Arizona ignore it. The Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona does recognize the time change. Indiana used to be split on the idea, but state legislation in 2006 now has all Hoosiers on board with the change.

Across the globe, countries treat time changes differently. For a map and a list of dates for Daylight Saving Time refer to this webexhibits.org page. It shows which countries currently, formerly and never observe the time changes. Some countries are divided on the issue, which is a ploy to reduce energy consumption.

 In places where the time changes are observed, it has become something of a ritual to use the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time to change batteries in smoke alarms and other devices.

The next clock adjustment, moving clocks back for an hour, will happen Nov. 6. That is the date to look forward to — or to fall back on.