This weekend it's that time again, winter time starts again. We say goodbye to daylight saving time and turn the clocks back one hour. When the clocks are changed (summer time and winter time in March and October), the usual discussion flares up again:does the clock move forward or back (tip:in the spring the clock goes forward), how much do people suffer from it (jet lag) and how how long does it take before we get used to the new era?
This year, the subject is even more popular. We may be allowed to vote on it, or at least express a preference. Time for a short refresher course. How about it again?
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Long ago, before the clock existed, man was guided by daylight, or the hours of sunshine. The position of the sun determined what had to be done, there was no summer time and winter time. Quite simply, at sunrise the day began and at sunset the day was over.
We then make a big step 'forward' in history:days, hours and minutes are officially recorded and our daily rhythm is determined by clocks from that moment on. As a result, our daily rhythm differs from daylight:in the summer it becomes light when we are still sleeping and in the winter we wake up before it becomes light.
Especially the many hours of sunshine in the summer are striking. As early as the end of the nineteenth century, people started to talk about the fact that it was actually not that convenient at all. It is getting light way too early for us clock-following people.
After much discussion, Daylight Saving Time is officially introduced in 1977 in the Netherlands. This is done through European legislation, an EU regulation and mainly has to do with the oil crisis. Moving the clock forward one hour makes it light later (and we don't wake up so early from the light). But the most obvious economic benefit is that there is more and longer light in the evenings. We don't have to turn on our lights until later and this saves energy. Summer time is officially a fact.
Winter time is therefore the official standard time. Daylight saving time has been introduced.
In recent years, there have been more complaints about summer time and winter time. In any case, it is no longer necessary for economic reasons. There is no question of an oil crisis. So, in principle, summer time and winter time can be abolished again. Or actually just summer time. In addition, some countries do not benefit from it. Finally, many people (and animals) suffer from the hour of “jet lag”.
It is important to realize that the further north you live, the greater the difference between the number of hours of sunshine in summer and winter. In Scandinavia they have long days in summer (in the far north the sun temporarily does not set at all) and in winter the days are short (the sun sets early again). The north therefore has no need for summer time and winter time. They have enough sunlight in the summer. Summertime only makes that “worse”. The far north (Scandinavia) therefore wants to get rid of summer time.
In the south of Europe the differences are much smaller. On average, the sun sets around the same time. It might be 1 hour. The south would therefore prefer to abolish winter time, they prefer an hour longer of light in the summer. But the difference for the southern countries is not as great as for the northern countries.
The effect is therefore greatest in the northern part of Europe. The further south you go, the more hours of sunshine there are and the smaller the difference.
Some people don't care as long as the clockwork stops. Shifting one hour doesn't sound like much, but people often suffer from it for a few days to a week.
We can choose between summer time and winter time. Do you want to abolish summer time and go back to winter time? Or abolish winter time and set daylight saving time as the default time?
Keeping daylight saving time does indeed mean that it is light for longer in the summer and dark for a little longer in the morning, as is the case now. So that remains the same. Choosing summer time as standard time means that in winter it is also slightly longer light in the evening, but also that it is dark (even) longer in the morning.
Choosing winter time as standard time would mean that the winters will remain the same as they are now, but that it will get light earlier in the morning and darker earlier in the evening. Long summer evenings and sitting in the sun until 10 p.m. are then over.
Personally, I don't mind if it gets dark a little earlier in the summer. The warm summer evenings can also be spent in less light. And with good sun protection or blackout curtains, the early morning rays can be blocked.
I find it much worse in the winter that the morning stays dark for so long. That makes it harder for me to get up and the traffic jams don't get shorter in the dark. In winter it is often too cold to sit outside in the evening, so I don't think that extra winter hour that we would get in the evening outweighs the extra hour of darkness in the morning. If I could choose between summer time and winter time, I would choose winter time as standard time.
I am curious what the rest of the Netherlands thinks about this.
I don't think there will be any change for the time being. In my view, it must then be decided unanimously in the European Union and the decisions of the European Union are not known for their diligence or unanimity. So whatever your preference, I estimate that we will continue to reschedule every six months for the time being.
