Eight facts to explain why daylight saving time is glorious

Sunday was one of the best days of the year: Daylight saving time started.

Long-time readers of this column are familiar with my views on this issue: Daylight saving time is better than the badly misnamed standard time.

From Sunday through Nov. 7 – 34 weeks – our clocks will be correct. The sun will rise a little later in the day, but the evening hours will be brighter. Then we'll go back to standard time – which constitutes 35% of the year.

It's absurd. But enough about math.

Allow me to take the opportunity to educate you about daylight saving time. Here are eight important daylight saving time facts:

• The term is "daylight saving time." Not "daylights." Not "savings." And letters are capitalized only at the start of a sentence. It's daylight saving time.
• We don't actually save time when we "spring forward." What happens is we stop wasting daylight, which is what happens from the first Sunday in November through the second Sunday in March. Smart people know that if we insist on continuing to split the year this way, the time from November through early March should be called "daylight wasting time" and the rest should be called "the glorious sunshine-honoring period of joy."
• The Uniform Time Act of 1966 normalized the way we keep time in America, making federal what was previously was a local decision. The 1966 legislation set DST at six months, then it was extended in 1986 and 2005 to its current eight months.
• Inexplicably, states can opt-out of DST, but must observe standard time. Several states – including California – have expressed a desire to go to DST permanently, but the federal government doesn't allow it. Big Brother, indeed.
• Georgia recently passed a bill to opt-out of DST. Related note: Georgia also has a law against keeping a donkey in a bathtub. The people who oppose DST also like unbathed donkeys.
• During the energy crisis of the mid-1970s, the U.S. went to year-round DST from January 1974 through April 1975. During that time, Richard Nixon peacefully left the presidency, "Sweet Home Alabama" was released, Mel Brooks released both "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein," Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record and the Oakland A's won their third straight World Series. Also, Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, Bradley Cooper,  Derek Jeter and Steve Nash were born. Are you telling me that's a coincidence? That might be the most productive 16-month period in American history.
• According to a 2019 survey, 40% of Americans favored dropping DST, 30% favored permanent DST and 30% like things the way they are. My research shows that the 40% of the population that wants permanent standard time also can't figure out how to change the clock setting on their microwave ovens or in their cars.
• Canada was the first country that allowed cities to adjust to daylight saving time. Canada also is responsible for more good comedians per capita than any country in the world. Coincidence?

The sun set at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, adding a glorious additional hour of sunlight late in the day. While the sunrise moves back an hour, too, it will be rising before 6 a.m. by mid-April.

Join me in celebrating one of the great days of the year. And let the unbathed-donkey-loving, microwave-clock-stumped people grumble and complain.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com