This is a dumb question but...???

Question

Do you turn your clocks back in the UK and Ireland? I have seen many asking this question here. I am serious. We turn them back every fall in the US. Frankly I have always thought it was kind of dumb. Never thought about other countries doing the same. Just curious.

I was serious Allison. I never thought about the clocks being turned back there also. We have states in the US that do not recognize daylight savings time. I was simply surprised.

Goodness, Deckape, it wasn't an insult it was a question.

Answer 1

We've been doing it for decades in the UK (and Ireland). During the Second World War, the UK put the clock forward two hours in Spring (called it British Double Summertime) in order to give farmers more daylight in which to work the land. Children loved it too... until they had to go to bed while it was still bright daylight outside. : - )
What you have to remember, Msscarlet, is that it's not just America that does such things. There's a big world population outside your shores - in fact 94 percent more!

Answer 2

Daylight Saving was introduced in Great Britain before World War One and it has been a regular feature ever since. Just a few variations over the years. In World War II Britain introduced Double Summer Time in order to make use of every minute of daylight. In the 1970's there was an experiment for 3 years where we did not change the clocks. It resulted in a lot more children being killed in road accidents due to the extra dark mornings and proved very unpopular. At the end of the experiment, we went back to the traditional changing of the clocks twice a year.

Answer 3

Since 1966, most of the United States has observed Daylight Saving Time from at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of April to 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. Beginning in 2007, most of the U.S. will begin Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and revert to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

Daylight Saving Time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Arizona. Daylight Saving Time began Sunday, April 02, 2006 and ends Sunday, October 29, 2006 in the United States this year. It begins Sunday, March 11, 2007 and ends Sunday, November 04, 2007 next year.

In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October. In the EU, all time zones change at the same moment.

Today, approximately 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of the country. Japan and India are the only major industrialized countries that do not observe some form of daylight saving.

Equatorial and tropical countries (lower latitudes) generally do not observe Daylight Saving Time. Since the daylight hours are similar during every season, there is no advantage to moving clocks forward during the summer. China has had a single time zone since May 1, 1980, observing summer Daylight Saving Time from 1986 through 1991; they do not observe DST now.

Answer 4

Yep, this is done everywhere. if you do a google search, typep in world clock. It will show you a website that tells you the time all over the world and just keep refreshing and then you will see the time go back. The reason that it is done everywhere is to maintain the time zones. If one place did it and not the other times would get all screwy. I do know of one place that is all acrewy. They are actually a half hour different from everyone when typically there is a difference of one hour. Nutty huh?

Answer 5

Hi, The clocks in the UK are put back1 hour so you gain an extra hours sleep!
When do the Clocks change?
Since 1972, Britain has decided to go with Greenwich Mean Time in winter, and British Summer Time in Summer.

We all change our clocks and watches by one hour, twice a year.

In the spring, we add an hour, and go onto what is called British Summer Time.

In the autumn, we do the reverse, and adhere to Greenwich Mean Time.

Answer 6

they change the cloks in evry country. its somat to do wiv d sun turnin around in a different way. n to get the right time u wud hav to change the time or else if we missed like a 100 yrs of turnin the clocks then we wud be wrong a 100 times with the clock. its just some science stuff. n its a lil dumb but no harm in askin is there???

Answer 7

We never used Daylight Savings Time in Hawaii or in Korea, but we did in Nevada, New Mexico, New York, etc.

Sure you gain an hour of sleep one night a year, but you also lose an hour of sleep another night of the year. Why not just change schedules if you don't want to go home/go to work in the dark? Sheesh.

Answer 8

well..it is dumb-a bit. I think that every country do this....I'm from Poland and turning back clocks two times a year is seriously NORMAL........but nice that U were curious ;P

Answer 9

Most countries do it but not all. Iceland is one of the ones who doesnt, we stay on GMT all year.

I never understood the need for this today. I know the old reason but today it just confuses people and costs a lot of money.

Answer 10

I'm in Ireland and we did it last night Sunday. Only we have to do it with all the clocks in my house.