For more than a century the United States has been “springing forward” and “falling back” as part of Daylight Savings Time (DST). DST involves the practice of setting the clock forward one hour in order to gain more light, thus making better use of the light during the warmer months. DST was initially observed by the Germans in 1916 during World War I as part of a war strategy to conserve fuel. The practice was then adopted by the U.S. in 1918 as a wartime measure under the Standard Time Act but was abolished after the war ended. DST was then reintroduced during World War II but was repealed after the war ended leaving individual states to once again establish their own standard of time. In 1974, DST became a permanent part of the American practice following a bill signed by President Richard Nixon.
In addition to its impact on time, time zones, and our biological clocks, DST and “springing forward” is also known for signaling the nearness of the spring equinox, which marks the beginning of the springtime season.
Although “springing forward” allows us to reap the benefits of longer daylight hours in the evening, metaphorically “springing forward” can also serve as a gentle reminder about the importance of being prepared to “spring into action and move forward” no matter what kinds of changes may be occurring in our lives.
On Morning Energy, we are going to spend time exploring the significance of “springing forward” to enjoy those longer sunny days or “springing forward into action” to create new possibilities in various areas of our lives.
References:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/daylight-saving-time-instituted
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-happened-the-last-time-the-us-tried-to-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent-180979742/
https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-daylight-saving
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