- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:54 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
As October came to a dramatic close, temperatures dropped sharply, down nearly 35 degrees in under 24 hours, ushering in the unmistakable chill of fall. With Halloween officially behind us, spooky decorations are coming down, pumpkins are turning into pie, and sweater weather has arrived. But changing leaves and holiday menus aren’t the only signs winter is approaching. If you woke up confused by an earlier sunrise, you’re not alone: daylight saving time officially ended overnight.
Most digital devices updated automatically, shifting clocks back one hour to standard time. The sun will now appear to rise earlier, even as daylight grows shorter heading into December. Evenings, however, will turn darker faster, something many Americans dread each year.
The clocks officially move back at 2 am local time on Sunday, signaling the end of daylight saving time until March 8, when they will ‘spring forward’ again.
Why Do We Change The Clocks?
Daylight saving time is designed to help people make better use of daylight and save energy. Moving the clocks forward in spring and back in fall allows for extended daylight hours during summer months when most people enjoy the outdoors more.
The idea of daylight saving time is widely credited to Benjamin Franklin, who joked in the 18th century that Parisians could save candles if only they woke up earlier, yet it did not take shape for many decades. In the 1700s, British towns set their own clocks based on local sunlight, resulting in scores of conflicting times. Western England could run nearly 20 minutes behind London, and many people changed their watches several times during a single train ride.
Who Observes Daylight Saving Time?
Every US state participates except Hawaii and most of Arizona. US territories-including Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands-also opt out. The portion of the Navajo Nation in Arizona does observe DST, however. Daylight saving time was conceived to make better use of daylight and to conserve energy. Moving the clocks forward in spring and back in fall allows for extended daylight hours during summer months when people generally enjoy the outdoors more.
Germany and Austria introduced DST in 1916; the time change was to help conserve fuel needed for the war effort. The United States initiated DST in 1918.
Several US states have passed legislation supporting permanent daylight saving time. However, federal law currently blocks states from adopting full-time DST without congressional approval. The next time shift is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2026, when clocks again will "spring forward."
What Do Americans Want?
Public support for the current system is low. Only 12 per cent of US adults favor switching clocks twice a year. According to a recent AP-NORC poll, 56 per cent prefer permanent daylight saving time, while 42 per cent favour permanent standard time instead. Until Congress steps in, though, Americans will continue the twice-yearly ritual of falling back, and springing forward.
