Day Light Saving Time Fall 2008

Everyone has heard the phrase spring forward, fall back. Every year we use that clever play on words to remind us which way the clock should go when the time change occurs. For some people the time change is just an inconvenience that makes them either lose an hour of sleep or gain an hour of sleep. For others the time changes affect much of their life. In the spring we roll our clocks ahead one hour in an effort to give farmers and those in other outdoor related fields an extra hour of sunlight each day. In 2008 this change will occur on Sunday March 9^th at 2am. Before heading off to bed that Saturday night set all the clocks ahead by one hour. Failure to do so will cause you to be late for any Sunday activities. In 2008 the fall back portion of daylight savings time is set to occur on November 2^nd.

Most people prefer the November time change over the March time change because they like the thought of gaining an extra hour of sleep. Of course you only gain that hour of sleep if you are actually asleep. If you are awake during the time change you don't get that extra hour. So, where did the concept of changing our clocks come from? According to website Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com) the concept for Daylight Saving time was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin back in 1784 but wasn't actually used the first time until 1916. Over the years some countries have adopted the use of the Daylight Saving system while others have tried it and ultimately rejected its use.

There is much debate over whether or not the observance of Daylight Saving time actually saves energy as it was designed to do. Some believe that energy is saved because people turn their interior house lights on later in the summer thus saving that one hour's worth of energy. Within the United States there are even some areas that don't observe the time change. Arizona and Hawaii stay on the same time schedule year round. Currently there are 131 countries where Daylight Saving time is not observed at all.

Whether you like having to change your clocks or not Daylight Saving time is something that affects most of us. Many people use this time change to check the batteries in their smoke detectors and perform similar maintenance checks on their homes and vehicles. If you are like me and always forget to change your clocks set yourself reminders. Mark the dates on your calendar for 2008.

Dates for the current year as well as for upcoming Daylight Saving time changes and more information can be found at www.timeanddate.com.