Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?

The days at the Shore are getting shorter. It was just this week that I started to notice it was getting dark earlier. Before you know it we'll be "falling back an hour." But why do we "spring ahead" in the first place?

Daylight saving time was started in the United States for the sake of conserving energy, not for our enjoyment. The Standard Time Act was passed in 1918, which officially established time zones and incorporated daylight saving months into federal law. This was during World War I, when national efforts were made to conserve materials for the war effort. The thought was that if daytime hours could correspond better with natural light, fewer tasks would need to be done at night. Homes would need to use less energy to stay lit.

Did you know there are two states that don't use Daylight Saving Time? Arizona and Hawaii. It's not a federal law to adjust the time twice a year, so they opt out.

Many countries around the world have adopted Daylight Saving Time. They often refer to it as "summer hours." I personally think that's got a better ring to it.

So now on November 4th when you move the clock back an hour, you know why.