Once again, the proverbial hands of time will return to Daylight Saving Time in the United States on the second Sunday in March. The official time change occurs on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2:00 a.m. when clocks will move forward one hour.
The official, correct term is Daylight Saving Time (without an "s"), although much of the print media and individuals use the term, "Daylight Savings Time". Either way, it all means the same time change.
Purpose of DST
The main purpose behind the change in time each year is to optimize the daylight hours available for people. Theoretically, Daylight Saving Time (DST) results in the use of less energy and electricity so it is a strategy to support environmentalism. People are able to take advantage of more daylight hours and sunlight rather than burn electricity.
The sun typically rises about one hour later each morning (while most people are sleeping anyway) during Spring and Summer, and therefore sets one hour later each evening. Changing the clock enables people to enjoy that extra evening hour of daylight.
Countries Recognizing DST
Although the United States does recognize DST, there are still some states and territories of the United States which choose not to recognize the change in time during the Spring and Fall. They include Hawaii, Arizona, Midway Islands, and Puerto Rico.
And the USA is not the only country to make the switch. Many countries around the world adjust their clocks, although some use a slightly different timeline.
But there are still 157 countries that do not observe DST in 2010. It's important to check local times when traveling or interacting with other countries. A list of all countries and their local times can be found at the Tme and Date website.
Fall Back One Hour in November
Many people do not like DST while others look forward to the additional hour they perceive they get out of their day. Either way, DST will not last forever and the clocks in the United States will be turned back to their 'normal time' on November 7, 2010, which is the first Sunday in November. For other countries, check the Time and Date website noted above.
Interesting Fact About DST
Local time between 2:00:00 a.m. - 2:59:59 does not exist during the transition from normal time to DST. This day of the year only has 23 hours. People working during this period of the night only work for 7 hours. But there is no need to worry.
In November, local time from 1:00:00 to 1:59:59 is repeated and there are 25 hours in the day. So, people working during this period of time will actually work 9 hours instead of their normal 8 hour shift.
Rhonda Day - With over 25 years of experience in the Corporate world with responsibility for creation of business plans, mission statements, marketing ...
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