Spring ahead and fall back. It’s a little ditty that’s been used for nearly 100 years to remind people which way to turn their clocks twice a year. But daylight saving time (DST) is often misunderstood.
The idea of DST was presented by William Willet, a house builder in London, England. The concept never gained acceptance during his lifetime, but it was finally implemented during the First World War to save coal. Nations around the world followed suit but only on an optional schedule, which led to some confusion.
Today, more than 70 nations recognize DST, including most industrialized nations except for Japan. Since the 1970s, Canadian provinces and territories have synchronized their observance of DST with the United States, although Saskatchewan does not observe the time change.
DST begins this year on Sunday, March 14.
Critics argue the additional hour of daylight results only in confusion, people being late for work and missed appointments, while advocates cite the positives to be derived from energy savings, as well as health benefits from increased exposure to sunlight.
