Tonight, we prepare to bid farewell to daylight saving time and welcome the warm embrace of winter time. This means that the clocks will roll back tonight, from 3 AM to 2 AM. In other words, mornings will become brighter, and evenings will grow darker earlier.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, all the way back to 1977, the year when the Netherlands first embraced both winter and summer time.
And then, on December 21st, the shortest day of the year approaches, with the sun slowly rising around 8:45 AM and setting behind the horizon at 4:30 PM. It’s the perfect time to bring out the warm mugs of hot chocolate and cozy blankets!
Here’s an interesting tidbit: the European Commission is discussing the possibility of abolishing this entire time change ritual. However, our government remains cautiously undecided because, honestly, who wants to make a choice without knowing all the pros and cons? Dutch research has revealed no clear preference among the three time systems: the current one with its changing times, permanent winter time, or permanent summer time.
If daylight saving time were to extend into the winter, on the shortest day of the year – December 21st – it wouldn’t be light until around 9:45 AM. That certainly sounds like a challenge for early birds.
So, let’s savor the prospect of a slightly longer weekend for now. Let the cozy season begin!