The days are getting colder, the dark is arriving earlier in the evening, and now, it is time for the biggest sign of the winter – changing the clocks.
This strange practice has been going on for years, but why do we actually do it? And is this something that we will continue to do for the rest of time?
When do the clocks change in October 2023?
In the UK, clocks will go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday October 29 2023. This means the time will change at 2am, to 1am, giving you an extra hour in bed.
The change in clocks means that sunset will be one hour earlier, moving from around 6:30pm to 5:30pm, depending on your exact location. Fortunately, this means that the sun will rise an hour earlier, from approximately 8:20am to 7:20am.
The clocks originally went forward for the summer on 26 March this year which marked the start of daylight saving time.
The period when the clocks are one hour ahead is known as British Summer Time (BST). Once the time goes back by an hour, we return to what is known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Smartphones, tablets, computers and any other devices connected to the internet will automatically adjust the time without any input. However, a lot of wall clocks, car clocks, watches and devices removed from any internet connection will need to be changed manually.
Why do the clocks change?
There is no scientific explanation behind this or even a deep historical backstory. Simply, daylight saving time happens so we can enjoy more of the day when the nights get longer.
At this time of the year, it gets dark much earlier, so by putting the clocks back, we are able to get more out of the day… in theory.
What is the history of daylight saving time?
The conversation of daylight saving time goes back all the way to 1784 and a conversation with Benjamin Franklin. But don’t worry, this isn’t a long history lesson, the actual first use of the term comes much later in 1907.
William Willett, a keen golfer, horse rider and coincidentally, the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay’s Chris Martin published a leaflet titled The Waste of Daylight.
In an attempt to get more out of the daylight hours, he proposed moving the clocks forward by 80 minutes, using four separate increments of 20 minutes each Sunday at 2am. That is obviously a slightly complicated way of doing it, but it was the start of what we have now.
For the UK, specifically, daylight saving time followed a few years later in 1916. Due to the costs of energy during the war, we wound back the clocks to not be using energy in the house for as long each day.
Not every country adopted the concept at the same time. Canada was the first country to do so in 1908 and the US started in 1918.
Will we always use daylight saving time?
Despite its long history, daylight saving time isn’t always the most popular idea. The EU for example voted to scrap the idea back in 2019. The change was going to take place in 2021 but plans were stalled.
The problem came when EU member states were asked if they wanted to remain in winter or summer time, but no agreement was reached.
In the UK, most people support the idea of keeping daylight saving time but the idea of scrapping it has been floated in the past. For now, there are no plans to stop it in the UK.
Do any countries not use daylight saving time?
Surprisingly, daylight saving time is not a concept adopted around the world. Time might be linear, but only around 70 of the 195 countries in the world are playing around with getting an extra hour in bed.
Most countries that are near to the equator don’t use daylight saving time including the likes of Japan, India and China. However, there are some places that utilise their own version.
The Antarctic research station Troll switches between Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and Central European Summer Time (CEST), which have a difference of two hours.
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