When Do We Put the Clocks Back The clock changes regularly every year, and many people wonder when do we put the clocks back and forward? Why Do the Clocks Change? The changing of the clocks takes place in many countries of the world to take advantage of daylight hours. The time alters by an hour twice a year to make maximum use of the daylight and this is important for many industries. The changing of the clock ensures that, during winter months when daylight is precious, daylight is maximized and in the summer, when there is more daylight, more of it falls in the evening which in effect extends the day. The summer time is referred to as Daylight Saving Time or DST. In Britain it is referred to as British Summer Time or BST. While the changing of the clocks is widespread, it is less common in countries that are near the equator. This is because these counties experience less of a difference in the number of daylight hours than countries that are farther away from the equator. When Do We Put the Clocks Back and Forward? Many people find trying to work out which way the clocks change confusing, and remembering whether clocks go forward or back can sometimes be a challenge. There is a simple phrase that can help people remember which way the clocks go and that is 'Spring Forward, Fall Back'. This simple phrase plays on the fact that in spring clocks 'spring forward' an hour and in the fall they fall or go back an hour. This is a useful phrase and is a good way of remembering in which directions the clocks go. What Time Do the Clocks Change? Generally, the clocks change at two in the morning. This means that when the clocks go back in the fall, the time changes from two in the morning to one in the morning, thus giving the day twenty-five hours instead of the normal twenty-four hours. Correspondingly, the clocks change in the spring at 2:00 a.m. Meaning that the time changes from two in the morning to three in the morning, meaning that the day has an hour less than normal – twenty-three hours. Different Countries – Different Dates Although many countries change their clocks twice a year, this is not carried out at a universal time and different countries set their own dates for the clocks to change. US Daylight Savings Times Dates In the United States, the clocks change on the second Sunday in March and again on the first Sunday in November. This means that almost two-thirds of the year are in Daylight Saving Time or DST. Fixing the change of the clocks to a certain day of the month rather than a date is beneficial as it remains fixed every year and is easy to remember and helps to answer the question of when do we put the clocks back and forward. US Daylight Savings Time Calendar | Year | US Date When We Put the Clocks Forward | US Date When We Put the Clocks Back | 2008 | March 9 | November 2 | 2009 | March 8 | November 1 | 2010 | March 14 | November 7 | 2011 | March 13 | November 6 | 2012 | March 10 | November 3 |
Time Change in Europe In countries of the European Union, clocks fall back the last Sunday in October and are set ahead the last Sunday in March at 1.00 am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT. European Summer Time | Year | Europe - Date to Set the Clocks Ahead | Europe - Date to Set the Clocks Back | 2008 | March 30 | October 26 | 2009 | March 29 | October 25 | 2010 | March 28 | October 31 | 2011 | March 27 | October 30 | 2012 | March 25 | October 28 |
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