In 2018, many European countries will have to switch to winter time on October 28. But after an online vote among Europeans, 80% did not support the transfer of clock hands to winter time. Disputes about the need to change the time twice a year last quite a long time. Conducting a series of studies, some scientists prove the necessity of this event, while others, on the contrary, speak of its irrationality and even harmfulness from a medical point of view.
Every year in Europe, the transition to winter time was carried out on the last Sunday of October, in 2018 the 28th was determined for this. The date was common for the entire EU, but the time when the switches were switched depended on Greenwich Mean Time. For example, the very first to do this was in England and Portugal at 2 o'clock in the morning, an hour later the arrows were moved in France, Germany and Italy (at 3 o'clock), in Greece and Turkey - at 4 o'clock. But in Iceland, this question has never been raised, because this country lives according to universal time all year round.
Historically, Europe has always lived according to winter time, and only in the fall of 1916 in Germany for the first time the arrows were switched in order to save coal during the war. The idea of switching to daylight saving time originally belonged to the New Zealand entomologist (1895), and in Europe - to the English builder William Willet (1905). And yet, the summer time reform did not want to take root in the Old World: in the same Germany, they returned to the winter system already in 1918.
It turns out that winter time is a historically established concept to which the human biological clock is adapted. Why did the transition to it in 2018 displease almost 80% of European citizens? Perhaps the fact is that a person is simply comfortable, because when switching to winter time, the arrows are moved back, as a result, it turns out that Europeans spend all their free time in the dark: they get up before sunrise, and return home after sunset.
Will Russia switch to winter time?
Russia from October 2014 to the present day has been living according to "winter" time. The first attempt after the collapse of the USSR to leave the hands of the clock unchanged was carried out in 2011.
What did Europe decide with the change of clocks?
This year, the European Commission held an online vote on the transition from summer to winter. Those wishing to express their opinion could do so until August 16 this year.
According to the voting results, it became known that out of 4.6 million survey participants, 80% of the European population are opposed to the transition from summer to winter time. This issue will have to be considered by the European Commission in the near future. If it is approved, then the final decision will be taken by the European Parliament. That is, this suggests that in 2018 in Europe the transition to winter time may not take place. But not all European countries support such an idea. Some states do not report their views on this issue at all.
Which countries will switch to winter time in 2018
In France, the transition to winter in 2018 will take place on October 28. It is on this day that all cities in France will set their time back one hour. When comparing Paris with Moscow, it can be noted that at the moment the whole of France is exactly one hour behind the Russian Federation.
The Czech Republic, like France, will set the clock back one hour in October. This event will take place on Friday of the same 28th. At the same time, the time in Prague is only one hour behind Moscow. Spain is also part of Europe. This country has as many as three time zones. In the capital of Spain - Madrid, the clock change will also take place on October 28, also 1 hour ago.
These countries also include Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Ireland, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Belarus, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Sweden, Russia and many others. It should also be noted that the clock change will be carried out in different countries in different ways. The transfer will vary from 03:00 to 05:00.
The transition to winter time is very important for many people. It is precisely because the hands of the clock will move back one hour that many Russians will have a great opportunity to sleep sweetly and sleep off all winter. Residents of all European countries will have at their disposal an extra 60 minutes of sleep.
How to switch to winter time without compromising health
During the transition to winter time, you should make the load at work and at home minimal, you can also refuse strength and physical exercises. The period of transition to a new time for the human body will last in the region of 2-3 weeks. It is during this period of time that a person will be completely rebuilt.
The first few days should give the body a lot of rest. For about a week or two, you should go to bed according to the old time and wake up in a new way, so the person will increase the number of hours for sleep. During this period, you should also stock up on vitamins and try to take them regularly. On the day off, you can schedule a massage for yourself, as it helps relieve stress and restores the body.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, October 28, 2018, the countries of the European Union will simultaneously move the arrows back one hour. They will most likely do it for the last time. According to the results of the referendum, the European Commission decided that from 2019 the clock change is no longer performed.
Latest clock change
- Who came up with this?
- Health impact
- The situation in Europe
Until April 2019, each EU country must decide on what time it stays - in winter or in summer. There are fears that the picture of time zones in the European Union will change chaotically. On the other hand, it can, on the contrary, be harmonized if neighboring countries agree with each other.
Who came up with this?
At the Earth's equator, the same duration of day and night is maintained all year round: 12 hours each. There are no problems with sleep disturbances, energy conservation and so on. In winter, sunrise and sunset occur almost at the same time as in summer. Unfortunately, this is not the case at other latitudes. Due to the tilt of the earth's axis, the 23.44° solstices and equinoxes fall at different times of the year. In other words, in the northern hemisphere, summer days are longer than winter days.
Sunrise and sunset times throughout the year with and without daylight savings time in Greenwich (UK). Data from the Daylight Chart program
Hence the idea of transferring clock hands to daylight saving time was born. The idea belongs to New Zealand entomologist and amateur astronomer George Hudson. In 1895, he submitted an article to the Wellington Philosophical Society proposing a two-hour clock shift to "preserve daylight." The article was published in 1898.
The idea was noticed in England, where the aristocrat and businessman William Willett became its main propagandist. In 1907, at his own expense, he published and distributed the pamphlet "The Waste of Daylight". According to his proposal, the clock should be moved every Sunday in April by 20 minutes at 2 am (only 80 minutes for April), and on Sundays in September - translated in the same way in the opposite direction. This will save England £2.5 million in lighting costs.
Purely scientific ideas from "nerds" rarely attract the attention of influential political circles. But in this case it happened. Possibly William Willett's acquaintance at the golf club, Parliamentarian William Pierce, introduced the idea to the British Parliament on February 12, 1908, but it was never accepted, although Willett promoted it until his death in 1915.
The German Empire and its ally Austria-Hungary were the first to officially introduce summer time during the First World War in order to save coal in wartime. This significant event took place on April 30, 1916.
The example of the enemy was immediately followed by Great Britain and the allies. Russia and several other countries waited until next year, and the US introduced daylight saving time in 1918.
First Daylight Saving Time in Ohio, USA
After the war, most countries abandoned the clock change, but with the outbreak of World War II, it was again used almost everywhere.
Several countries have abolished DST in recent years, including Russia and Belarus in 2011. But in Russia, the reform caused people to complain about the darkness in the mornings, so summer time was returned in 2014. The transfer of arrows was canceled in Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Turkey and other countries. Now it's the turn of the European Union.
Health impact
Scientific research shows conflicting results regarding the impact of clock shift on health. Depending on where you live and how you live, turning the arrows can give your body more daylight, which boosts vitamin D production.
On the other hand, moving the arrows increases the risk of a heart attack by 10%, disrupts sleep and reduces its effectiveness. Human biorhythms go astray and adjust to a new schedule within a few weeks (1, 2). Studies show that within a few weeks after the spring switchover, the number of suicides in men increases.
Sleep disturbances are the main negative consequence of the clock change, so now some doctors recommend abandoning DST (daylight saving time). In many countries, disputes on this topic have been going on for decades.
Saving electricity is generally called a myth: studies have shown that lighting costs practically do not change as a result of the clock change. An order of magnitude greater savings comes from switching to LED bulbs and “smart” sensors.
The situation in Europe
In Europe, universal daylight saving time was introduced in 1996: all countries simultaneously moved the arrows forward an hour on the last Sunday in March and back an hour on the last Sunday in October. Now this rule is being abolished. Tweet from European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc:
The transport industry traditionally suffers the most from switching arrows and the need to change schedules, so Violeta's joy can be understood. She hopes that the European Parliament and national governments will quickly coordinate their actions, and calls for the start of "consultations at the state level to guarantee a coordinated approach for all EU members."
Time zones in the European Union
Until April 2019, each EU country must decide on what time it stays - in winter or in summer.
The decision of the European Commission is based on the results of an online survey, which was attended by 4.6 million people in Europe. It is curious that 3 million of them represented Germany, that is, the representativeness of the survey is rather doubtful.
However, 80% of respondents voted for the abolition of daylight saving time. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on ZDF: "People want it, so we will do it." Chancellor Angela Merkel also agreed that it was "a very important issue." published
If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our project.
On the night of October 27-28, Europe switches to winter time. The current transition may be the last. The European Commission, on the basis of a survey conducted among EU citizens, to cancel the transition to summer and winter time in the Union countries. True, as history shows, the decision to switch to summer and winter time has already been made and canceled more than once.
It all started with a joke
In 1784, the famous American public figure Benjamin Franklin was in Paris on a diplomatic mission. After eight years in France, he studied the everyday problems of the Parisians enough and often teased them. At the insistence of French friends, in particular, the founder of the Journal de Paris newspaper Antoine Cade-de-Vaux, the famous publicist often published anonymously in his publication, where he sent his satirical notes "on the topic of the day."
In one of them, Benjamin Franklin tells readers about his discovery, which he made due to the oversight of his servant, who forgot to close the shutters at night. The author of the article, waking up at six in the morning, found that the sun rises so early!
And if you turn the clock forward another hour and use this daylight hours for work, then in the evenings it will be possible not to light candles at all, going to bed immediately after sunset, he decided.
The elderly politician immediately calculated that if the townspeople were awakened at dawn with cannon shots and church bells in the summer, the state could save a tidy sum!
Daylight Savings Time in Crisis Years
In 1895 and 1907, the entomologist and astronomer George Vernon Hudson from New Zealand and the British inventor William Willett made a very serious proposal to use daylight more efficiently in 1895 and 1907.
A big early-morning golfer, William Willett suggested moving the hands 80 minutes ahead in the summertime (20 minutes every Sunday in April and also backwards, but only in September), which would save up to 2.5 million pounds on lighting.
The biggest supporter of summer time was the future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, but he did not immediately succeed in putting such a reform into practice. This happened for the first time in 1916, after during the First World War the clock hands were first moved forward an hour in Germany and Austria-Hungary, followed by Great Britain, France and other European countries, and in 1917 Russia.
In 1919, daylight saving time in Germany was again canceled: it was too much reminiscent of the war and the Treaty of Versailles. History repeated itself in 1940. The hands of the clock were again moved back, and Berlin time was in effect throughout the territory occupied by the Wehrmacht troops.
After the end of the war, all attempts to "reform time" did not lead to anything. Since 1949, by mutual agreement, the FRG and the GDR again abolished summer time.
In the homeland of Benjamin Franklin, the annual daylight saving time was introduced during the First World War, but until 1966, each region of the country had the right to independently decide what to do with it.
European summer
In Germany, during the years of economic growth, no one spoke about the transition to daylight saving time. And only after the oil crisis in 1973, they began to talk again about the possibility of saving resources by increasing daylight hours. Paradoxically, among the Western European countries in 1976, summer time was introduced only in France. Later, several other countries followed suit. In 1979, the GDR surprised everyone by announcing the transition to daylight saving time. And only since 1980, the clock hands began to be regularly translated in Germany.
In 1996, uniform rules for the transition were approved for all EU countries. However, the controversy around the sore topic did not subside. Scientists proved the detrimental effect on people's health, economists - the inexpediency of such actions, and the Europeans themselves, as shown by the vote on the abolition of the transfer of time, eventually demanded for winter and summer time.
The legendary Benjamin Franklin hardly imagined the consequences of his seemingly harmless joke.
Already on March 25, 2018, European countries will move the clock hands one hour ahead, that is, to summer time. Discussions are now under way to abolish such a transition in the future.
On the last Sunday in March each year, clocks in most parts of the world are set to daylight savings time one hour ahead. In October, they return to their original position, that is, the transition to winter time is carried out.
All EU member states in full force, almost all American states, translate the clock hands. Some states in Asia and Latin America, India, Indochina and others did not support this idea.
The tradition of changing clocks dates back to the beginning of the last century. The so-called "winter" time is astronomical, and summer is introduced to save electricity.
More than a hundred countries in the world change their clocks.
This idea was first proposed by the American ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin. It was back in 1784. Then this measure helped to save candles.
There is another version, according to which summer time was invented by the Englishman William Willet. According to his observations, many Londoners simply slept through most of the daylight hours. So he suggested changing the clock.
Germany and England switched to daylight saving time in 1916. This was done to save electricity. People were able to work longer without the use of artificial lighting.
This measure is showing results as studies show that real savings are around 2% of annual electricity consumption.
When do European clocks switch to daylight saving time in 2018
In 2018, the last Sunday of March falls on the 25th. The transition to summer occurs, as a rule, on the night from Saturday to Sunday, in order to live a new day off at a new time and give the body a little time to recover.
When the time comes to move the hands of the clock, there is talk about the expediency of this procedure at the present time.
Attempts have been made in some countries to abandon daylight saving time, but for some reason they have not been supported by the public. The transition to summer and winter time has remained to this day.
There have been many discussions about the harmfulness of the transition. The fact that the human body reacts negatively to this no longer requires proof. And advice to go to bed early does nothing.
Daylight Saving Time in Europe may be canceled in 2018
According to RIA Novosti, the parliamentarians adopted a resolution aimed at abolishing the practice of switching to daylight saving time. Evidence of the harmfulness of such a measure, based on research by scientists, was cited.
In addition to the fact that the well-being of people is significantly deteriorating, agriculture is suffering, as well as the quality of driving motorists.
Animals don't care that yesterday the clock was 5 o'clock in the morning and today it is 4 o'clock. Cows will milk at the same time, according to their regime, and not the numbers on people's alarm clocks.
The parliamentarians considered that all EU countries should take a unanimous decision on the issue of abolishing the clock change.
There are officials in our country who hold the opposite point of view. For example, Andrey Baryshev, State Duma deputy, proposes to return to the practice of winter and summer time.
His bill is backed by scientific evidence. So it was found that the transition to a single time system disrupted the synchronization of biological rhythms, and also affected the state of people's health.
From the moment of the widespread establishment of Soviet power in 1919 until the collapse of the Soviet Union, and later on the territory of modern Russia, the time on the clock was changed twice a year. In the spring they moved the hands by one hour to make the time summer, and in the fall they carried out the reverse operation of the transfer so that the time again became winter.
However, now (and in 2018 too) the law of the Russian Federation on the transfer of time twice a year has been canceled. In 2018, the Russians do not need to translate the hands on the clock (and change the time on electronic devices). Therefore, the answer to the question When we change the time in 2018 in Russia "- NEVER.
The transition to winter time in 2018 in Russia is canceled. The Russian government took care of this relatively recently, four years ago. This is the official refusal of the country's leadership to switch to the so-called winter time.
Why it is not necessary to switch the clock hands to winter time in Russia in 2018
Russia is not included in the list of countries that change clocks twice a year. This is due to legislation, disputes between scientists and deputies. Seven years ago, parliamentarians passed a law that abolished the transition to winter time. However, residents of many cities complained about the inconvenience of constant daylight saving time.
Citizens of the Russian Federation in most regions do not now translate the clock. Accordingly, in Russia there will be no transfer of clocks to winter time. The country is already living by this time. But in this regard, not everyone is happy with everything. Some regions switched to daylight saving time themselves. There are 11 such regions in total. Over time, confusion sometimes “scattered” one region across different time zones.
In the winter of this year, MP Anton Baryshev proposed to return summer time to Russia. According to him, parliamentarians receive many complaints from citizens about the constant winter time. Baryshev also cited statistics, according to which the number of accidents has increased in the country over the four years of constant winter time.
The risks of mortality from cardiovascular diseases have increased and cases of rheumatism have become more frequent. Nevertheless, winter time in most regions of the Russian Federation remains constant. Today, as in the good Soviet times, each time zone of the Russian Federation will have its own time.
In general, many Russians misunderstand the situation, because they say that we have switched to winter time. In fact, the country switched to summer time, since for the first time the hands of the clock were translated in the spring, and not in the winter.
However, in some regions of the Russian Federation, separately from other regions, a one-time transfer of clock hands was carried out based on the wishes of citizens. In 2016-2017 this was done:
* In the Saratov region, where the time was moved forward 1 hour.
* In the Novosibirsk region, where the time was also set forward 1 hour.
* In the Tomsk region (also an hour ahead from Omsk to Krasnoyarsk time).
* In the Magadan region (plus 1 hour).
* In the Ulyanovsk and Astrakhan regions, which added an hour and left the Moscow time zone for Samara.
* Clocks have also been changed one hour ahead in the Sakhalin Region, the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic.
* In Volgograd and the Volgograd region, the clocks have only to be moved forward one hour. Since such a wish was expressed by the majority of the inhabitants of the region at a referendum held simultaneously with the election of the President of Russia on March 18, 2018. The results were considered by the Regional Duma and received approval in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The time change in the Volgograd region will take place on the night of October 27-28, 2018.
Who and when invented to translate the hands of the clock
Benjamin Franklin, an American politician and inventor, was the first person to change the time by moving the hands. In 1784, he was an envoy to France, and decided to publish an anonymous appeal to the Parisians about saving candles from the sunlight in the morning.
But the French at one time did not support the idea of B. Franklin. Officially, the New Zealand entomologist D.V. proposed to translate the arrows. Hudson. In 1895, in his article, he proposed a 2-hour shift, which would increase daylight hours.
In 1908, for the first time in Britain, clocks were moved forward an hour in summer and an hour back in winter. The purpose of such changes was considered to be significant energy savings. In the United States, the transfer to "winter" and "summer" time has been carried out since 1918.
In Russia, they began to translate time from July 1, 1917, then the arrow was moved forward an hour (by decree of the Provisional Government), and the arrows were moved back an hour by decree of the Council of People's Commissars (December 22, 1917 according to the old style) on June 16, 1930 by a decision of the Council of People's Commissars Decree time was introduced in the USSR, the clock was moved one hour ahead of standard time, the arrows were not turned back, until 1981, when the country switched back to seasonal time.
Since 1997, they began to switch time to "winter" from the end of October, and to "summer" from the end of March. On February 8, 2011, the President of Russia, the post was then headed by D.A. Medvedev, it was decided to cancel the transition to winter time from autumn.
And on March 27, 2011, Russia switched to a permanent "summer" time. On July 21, 2014, the President of the Russian Federation V. Putin signed the law on the transition to a permanent "winter" time, the new norms came into force on October 26, 2014.
Which countries change their clocks to winter time?
Summer time is used to some extent in 81 countries around the world. In particular, almost all EU member states continue to switch arrows (with the exception of Russia, Belarus and Iceland).
In Africa, seasonal time adjustment is carried out only in Burkina Faso, Morocco and Namibia. In South America, time manipulation is relevant for Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay, and in Asia and the Middle East, for Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, the Philippines, and Syria. In addition, clock hands are tightened in the United States and Canada, as well as in Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda and the Bahamas.
As for Australia, it became one of the first states in the world where they decided to translate the arrows. However, to date, some regions of the country have abandoned this idea.
When the time is changed in 2018 in other countries
If on the territory of Russia the time change on the clock in 2018 is not carried out, then in some other countries ( for example on the territory of Ukraine), this must be done twice during 18 years.
Clock change 2018 in these states will be made in late March and at the end of October.
* daylight savings time change will take place in spring on the last Sunday of March - on the night of Saturday, March 24, 2018 to March 25, 2018.
* autumn clock change to winter time will occur on the last Sunday of October - on the night of Saturday October 27, 2018 to October 28, 2018.
The changeover to the new time (summer/winter) is done manually between 2:00 am and 4:00 am. A number of modern devices change the time automatically, but on Sunday morning you need to check the correctness of the corrections made.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from "Info-Vsem" and open sources specifically for the site
