Y'all...Who else is dreading the effects of Daylight Savings starting tonight? ✋ It is already a crazy weekend around here...Add to it an hour LESS of sleep...all I gotta say is THANK GOODNESS, our local coffee stand is offering FREE extra shots of coffee all day! **Insert Hallelujah Chorus**
As we brace ourselves for the impending doom of tomorrow morning (and we all know who will be arriving late at church, am I right?) I thought it would be interesting to take a peek of the history behind this most dreaded day of the year.
According to TimeandDate.com Daylight Savings was FIRST used in Canada in 1908. But it wasn't until the Germans implemented it in 1916 (in the middle of WWI) that the idea really took off. Although, it wasn't placed into effect in the US until 1918. In addition to saving energy, this law designated the original 5 time zones we now have in America. (Remember, Hawaii was not yet a state in 1916. See original law) The initial idea was to save fuel for the war effort by decreasing the use of indoor lighting. After The Great War ended, so did Daylight Savings...Until WWII began...
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| WWII Poster - Pinterest |
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My personal thought process on this goes something like this: This act was implemented to save energy. Have you seen the number of electric devices the average household has these days? Because whether it is dark outside or not, we are gonna be using energy. We aren't going to save energy by not using LIGHTS less...This morning, I can count 4 personal devices, 2 household systems (heat and fridge), and ZERO lights that are in use as I type. So remind me HOW this is supposed to save energy these days...? I tried finding some research in regards to saving energy in 2017 and Popular Mechanics says this, "Research is hard to conduct simply because DST has been in effect for so long that it's hard to accurately measure what energy use would be like without it..." BUT, they do say that it is beneficial in regards to lower crime rate (because more crime happens in the dark) so that's good.
Today there are over 70 countries that use Daylight Savings...However, WHEN it starts and stops varies from country to country. So your family that lives in Germany....well, sometimes they might be 5 hours ahead, sometimes 6, maybe 4, or even 7...depending on the time of year! (Not REAL time differences, this is just me being snarky).
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As a mom, I despise the semi-annual time change. It seems like every time we are FINALLY on a decent sleep schedule...Everything changes! I would prefer to just stay ON DST at all times. I live in the Pacific Northwest and in the winter, it gets dark at 4pm! I would LOVE it if it would stay light an extra hour in the evenings!
Well, I think that is all the ranting I have for you today...Is DST a GOOD idea? Probably. Is it effective? Who knows. Should we repeal it? I say yes...Or we can all move to Arizona! Haha!
Let me know your thoughts about DST!
Please note that I am NOT a historian. The facts provided are from the linked websites. I cross referenced as much as I could to make sure that I am providing true and accurate information. If you find an error, please let me know.
