Summer is on the horizon and the evenings are getting brighter.
The grand stretch in the evenings will get even grander soon when the clocks go forward one hour.
We may lose an hour of sleep but Daylights Saving Time will be welcomed with open arms after the long winter.
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When will it happen?
This year the clocks will go forward one hour at 01:00 on Sunday, 27 March 2022.
Does this happen just in Ireland?
Clocks go back across all EU member states on the last Sunday in October and forward on the last Sunday in March. In North America, Daylight Savings Times (DST) starts on the second Sunday in March while clocks go back on the first Sunday in November.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the clocks go back on the first Sunday in October.
Why do we do it?
The clocks change so we can make the best use of natural light the earth orbits the sun. The countries that are further from the equator, like Ireland, get more hours of darkness from the clock changing.
Who decided to start it?
In 1885, a Kiwi named George Hudson allegedly came up with the idea in order to give him more time for hobbies after a day at work.
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By moving the clocks a couple of hours, Hudson was hoping to have more time in the garden in the evening.
In the UK, a man called William Willett suggested that clocks should be moved in order for British people to make the most of the summer evenings.
After Willet's death and as a way to reduce countries use of coal during World War 1, Germany decided to try out changing clocks in 1916. This idea soon spread to other European countries and North America.
Aren't the EU ending the practice?
In 2019, the EU Parliament voted to stop DST from 2021 onwards. This was based on an EU-wide survey that showed 70% of respondents wanted the practice to stop.
However, this plan has been put on the backburner due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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