The dreaded Daylight Saving Time is introduced in the U.S.

 Day 40 of 365 days. 326 days left to go.

Friends,

Do you think that when President Roosevelt proposed Daylight Savings Time back in 1918, he knew it would become the topic of conversation twice a year for the rest of time?

Or is it just a thing here in the U.S?

I honestly don’t know. Maybe it’s just a U.S. debate.

But today is the anniversary of when Congress pushed a standard time in the U.S. by one hour in each time zone, calling it ‘war time.’

Regardless, here’s some cool facts behind the memes:

Germany was the first country to implement it

Guess that answers my question. Germany implemented daylight saving time in 1916 to save fuel during World War I. The United States adopted the practice in 1918, but daylight saving time wasn’t standardized across the country until the passage of the 1966 Uniform Time Act. This gave the federal government oversight over time changes. As if the country doesn’t have enough power, now they can control time.

It’s not a worldwide or even nationwide concept

Shout out to those states who fight the establishment! Arizona and Hawaii refuse to cooperate and are on permanent standard time. As are Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. And only about 70 countries.

Interesting side note: The United Nations, for example, recognizes 251 countries and territories. The United States, however, officially recognizes fewer than 200 nations. The most accepted answer is that there are 196 countries in the world.

It wasn’t a farmer’s concept

The agricultural industry fought against the concept after it was introduced in Congress. Why? Because animals are like humans- they are chained to routines. Cows like being milked at the same time every day- regardless of what the government wants. Ever tried feeding a toddler an hour later than usual? It’s not pleasant.

We’ve been saying it wrong all this time

While it’s common to hear people say “daylight savings time” or just “daylight savings,” the correct term is “daylight saving time.” There’s a grammatical reason for keeping “saving” singular, but you can also think of it this way: What are you doing during this time? Saving daylight. Thus, daylight saving time.

Why do we have it?

There are a lot of reasons, some of them more recent than others:

Time zones were first introduced in the United States in 1883 by railroad companies. In 1918, they were codified into federal law by the Standard Time Act. This also included a provision for nationwide daylight saving time to save energy during World War I, but it was repealed a year later due to protests.

Between January 1974 and April 1975, the entire country practiced Daylight Saving Time year-round to combat the energy crisis. In 2005, Congress passed a law that extended Daylight Saving Time by a month to keep energy costs down. I’m seeing a theme in energy costs- unfortunately, my bill is showing a different trend.

In the last five years, 19 states have enacted legislation or passed resolutions for year-round Daylight Saving Time: Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and Florida.

In March 2022, the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021. The bill allows for moving time one hour forward from what the federal government considers standard time, beginning in November 2023. It hasn’t been signed into law yet- but I’m sure it’s part of the latest Budget Plan.

A study by the Brookings Institute has shown that Daylight Saving Time reduces robberies, which tend to happen more under the cover of darkness. With more light in the early evening when people head home from work, there are likely fewer threats.

Anyhoo- we have about a month until we ‘spring forward.’ But does anyone else find it ironic that the government wants to control time?

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

I don’t mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be th eonly I’ve saved all year.

Victor Borge

If tales of legend, myth, and fantasy topped with a cup of coffee interest you, I suggest checking out my book, The Writer and the Librarian. It’s a historical fantasy about a middle-aged woman faced with a decision: accept what is written in the history books or find out for herself the truth behind the stories. Limited edition copies are now available on my website (Shop – R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author (rlgeerrobbins.com) or at

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