Why Do We Observe Daylight Saving Time?

It's that time of year again — time to set all your clocks back an hour for Daylight Saving Time. Have you ever wondered why we even observe Daylight Saving Time in the first place? It has a long and winding history, and to this day, it's a topic that is still hotly debated. 
Why Do We Observe Daylight Saving Time?

It's that time of year again — time to set all your clocks back an hour for Daylight Saving Time. Have you ever wondered why we even observe Daylight Saving Time in the first place? It has a long and winding history, and to this day, it's a topic that is still hotly debated

The first person to propose our modern yearly time change was an entomologist from New Zealand, named George Hudson. His day job was at his local post office, but his passion was collecting bugs during his free time in the evenings. To maximize the amount of evening sunlight in the summer months (more time to hunt for bugs!), in 1895, Hudson suggested moving clocks forward in the spring and then moving them back in the fall. The idea wouldn't catch on until twenty years later, during World War I. 

Germany became the first country to officially establish Daylight Saving Time in 1916, as an effort to save energy and conserve coal during wartime. Many other European countries followed suit, with the United States first enacting Daylight Saving Time in 1918 as an energy-saving measure. Most countries stopped the practice after the war ended. Daylight Saving was reinstituted by President Woodrow Wilson during World War II, but after the war, some states and cities continued with the time change. It was a confusing system that allowed states to start and end standard time whenever they wanted, creating a jumble of different practices across the country.

Finally, in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, officially setting Daylight Saving Time's start and end dates of the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. This was later amended, changing the start date to the second Sunday in March and the end date to the first Sunday in November. However, not every state observes Daylight Savings Time. The only two states that don't follow it are Arizona and Hawaii. Arizona gets plenty of sunshine and daylight all year long, and not changing their clocks actually cuts down on energy usage. Because Hawaii is situated so close to the equator, the sun rises and sets around the same time every day, making Daylight Saving Time unnecessary. 

How do you feel about Daylight Saving Time? Some people love it, some people… not so much! Or are you someone in Arizona where DLS doesn’t exist? Let us know in the comments how you plan on spending your extra hour come November 1st. We suggest taking time for some self-care, with a relaxing and luxurious soak in the tub using our nourishing Green Goo Bath Salts! Use your extra hour to care for yourself. Your body will thank you!

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