You’re going to get one hour less of sleep this weekend.
Springing forward, falling back – you might find yourself wondering why we bother with all this carry on as you prepare yourself for an hour less in bed this Sunday morning.
Daylight saving time in Ireland will begin (go forward an hour) at 1am this Sunday, 26th March and will end (go back an hour) at 2am on Sunday, 29th October of this year. If you rely on an alarm clock that’s not on your phone or laptop, you’ll have to change it manually. The clock in your car will, no doubt, remain an hour slow until the clocks go back again in October.
The clocks change in order to make the best use of natural light as the earth orbits the sun. In other words, the clocks go back an hour during the darker winter months so the mornings are ~slightly~ less dreary during commutes to work and school, and forward in the spring time so we can spend more time in the evening sun. It makes the grand stretch that little bit grander, basically.
Supporters of daylight savings also say it saves energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating into the evenings, although this isn’t confirmed.
Daylight savings originated in New Zealand back in 1895 when a scientist named George Hudson wanted more time for hobbies (in his case, foraging for insects) in the evenings after work, but could it be ending soon?
In 2019, the European Parliament voted in favour of permanently removing daylight savings from 2021 onwards. The decision was largely based on an EU-wide survey, which showed the vast majority of respondents would prefer to scrap the process. However, the vote and survey are not final and it would have to be discussed with EU member states before becoming EU law. The proposal also took a back seat as the world coped with the impact of covid, according to RTÉ.
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