Daylight saving time returns to most of the U.S. this weekend, which means it’s time to “spring forward” and welcome a later sunset for the next six months.
Here’s what to know about the time change and when to change those clocks.
When does daylight saving time start?
For the 48 U.S. states that observe daylight saving time, including Mississippi, clocks will need to be set forward one hour at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 9. It’s best to set your clocks before going to sleep on Saturday night to avoid a time-blind frenzy upon waking up Sunday morning. Speaking of sleep, you will lose an hour of time on Saturday night, but isn’t it worth it for an extra hour of sunlight?
When does daylight saving time end?
Clocks will “fall back” on Sunday, Nov. 2. Each year, daylight saving time begins on the first Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November.
Who observes daylight saving time?
Over 70 countries across the world participate in daylight saving time, according to timeanddate.com. All U.S. states observe daylight saving time, with Hawaii and Arizona (exempting the Navajo Nation) being the only original holdouts. Hawaii and Arizona were able to avoid the twice-annual time change by opting out of the 1966 Uniform Time Act, which regulates American time zones.
Territories American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marina Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not observe daylight saving time, either.
Why is daylight saving time observed?
This is the million-dollar question. While some people blame the farmers for daylight saving time, those in agriculture vouch that it’s not them who wanted the time change. According to the New York Times, Benjamin Franklin was credited with the idea after he realized he was wasting mornings staying in bed. Franklin’s idea entered American government policy in 1918 to help conserve fuel and power during World War I. The U.S. followed in the footsteps of Germany (1916) in enacting daylight saving time. Even though the original goal was to cut energy costs, there are conflicting studies on the matter with some arguing it doesn’t actually do that.
Will daylight saving time soon become permanent?
Many elected officials on both the state and federal levels have voiced their disdain for the twice-annual time change, but at this point, it’s up to Congress to make the final decision. 20 states are ready, though, with trigger legislation to make daylight saving time permanent waiting on a presidential pen stroke. Mississippi enacted legislation in 2021 for year-round daylight saving time, pending congressional approval.
On the federal level, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has co-sponsored legislation on multiple occasions that would put a stop to the clock-changing. Hyde-Smith and others in favor of making daylight saving time permanent argue it would result in more productivity for Americans as more sunlight would be made available during waking hours.
“The process of having to reset our clocks is an irritatingly outdated practice that we should ditch,” Hyde-Smith said in 2022. “We should instead embrace [daylight saving time] as a critically important way to realign daylight time to Americans’ most productive hours, while also improving public health and the American economy.”
Congressional efforts that have so far fallen flat may be even flatter as Republican President Donald Trump recently announced he wants to “eliminate daylight saving time” and make standard time permanent.
