Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time And When Do I Set My Clocks

Why and where Daylight Saving Time began may surprise you.

According to time.com,

That Daylight Saving Time began in Germany on May 1, 1916, in the hopes that it would save energy during World War I, according to Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time.

It has not been proven that observing Daylight Saving Time has saved any energy in the United States.  Not to mention, timeanddate.com points out health problems that are connected to DST,

• A Swedish study in 2008 found that the risk of having a heart attack increases in the first three days after switching to DST in the spring.
• Traffic accidents increase on the Monday following the start of DST. Tired drivers are the main reason.

The negative effects don't end with heart problems.  1 hour of less sunlight leads to higher rates of depression.

So, why do we still observe DST?  One thing I know for sure, it gets very complicated when some states follow DST and others do not.  Can we look forward to a time that the entire country let's this silly thing go?  I sure hope so.

Until then don't forget, we "Spring Ahead" at 2 am this Sunday (March 12, 2017).

Here's a little time change humor to lighten the mood.