"Spring forward" - clocks are advanced one hour on Sunday. At 2.00 am clocks and watches, plus any device with a timer, eg TVs, computers, mobile phones and car clocks, are adjusted by one hour.
[Image courtesy of The Solid Signal Blog]
Nowadays, many devices do this automatically, but most do not, even though we are well into the 21st Century. I shall have to manually adjust all our clocks, bar one; our two TVs, our kitchen oven, both cars and my wristwatch.
But will it be the last time we adjust our clocks, watches and timers?
The Historical Context
Adjusting the clocks was introduced in the UK during the first world war to allow more daylight working hours. And it’s never been changed since.
WW1 postcard [The Old Farmer's Almanac] [Image courtesy of The Independent]
As for Spain, their time used to be based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) like the UK and Portugal, but General Franco was pressurised to change to Central European Time (CET) by Adolf Hitler around the time of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Since then, Spain has been out of step.
On October 27, Spain will put its clocks back one hour, signalling the start of winter. However, this practice of adjusting the time has its days numbered. The farce of putting the clocks back in Autumn and forward in the Spring is to come to an end, at least in Spain.
Under current regulations, 2026 will be the last year in which Spaniards modify their clocks and watches, ending a practice that has been in place since the 1970s.
This discrepancy between the official time and daylight has generated criticism, as it affects the biological cycles of the population and complicates the balance between personal and working life.
Returning to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is still an option, but it would imply significant adjustments in daily habits.
Moving forward in Spain
For now, the debate on which time to choose will remain on the public agenda. Everything points to Spain preparing to say goodbye to the time change, joining other countries that have already decided to adjust their clocks for the last time.
Since 1974,
the main reason for moving clocks forward or backward has been to take advantage of natural light and reduce energy consumption. However, recent studies indicate that the impact of this measure is minimal at present, which has led to questions about its usefulness.
Despite the doubts, the Boletin Oficial del Estado (BOE) [Official State Gazette] has confirmed that the transition between winter and summer time will be maintained until 2026, as established by Royal Decree 236/2002.
[Photo courtesy of the BOE]
After that date, Spain will have to decide whether to adopt a fixed schedule and, if so, whether it prefers a summer or a winter timetable. This measure not only requires political consensus, but also a massive information campaign to avoid confusion among the populace.
The decision to stop changing the time has also reignited another discussion: Spain's time zone. According to its geographical location, the country should be governed by the Greenwich Meridian (GMT), as is the case in the United Kingdom and Portugal.
Until 1940 it was so, until Francisco Franco, under pressure from Adolf Hitler, adopted Central European Time (CET) to align with other countries on the European continent.
Conclusion
So, the farce of changing the clocks in Spain is to end in 2026, and not before time (excuse the play on words!). The question is will Spain revert to GMT where it belongs, alongside the UK, Ireland, Portugal and its own Canary Islands? Or will Spain remain on CET aligned with France, Germany and threst of western Europe.
Common sense dictates that they should re-align with their own Canary Islands, Portugal, the UK and Ireland, but since when did common sense prevail in politics?
Map of time zones [Time and Date]
Links:
Clocks go back on Sunday - but this practice's days are numbered!
Did you change your clocks and watches?
Spring forward, Fall back
When do the clocks change? - GOV.UK
Photos and Images
Boletin Oficial del Estado, The Independent, The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Solid Signal Blog, Time and Date,
© Paul Whitelock
Acknowledgements:
Boletin Oficial del Estado, Facebook, Time and Date, Wikipedia
Tags:
Adolf Hitler, BOE, Boletin Oficial del Estado, Canary Islands, CET, Central European Time, Daniela Machorro, Facebook, General Franco, GMT, Greenwich Mean Time, Ireland, Mundo Deportivo, Paul Whitelock, Portugal, putting the clocks back in Autumn, putting the clocks forward in Spring, Royal Decree 236/2002, Spanish Civil War, The History Man, The Independent, The Old Farmer's Almanac, The Solid Signal Blog, Time and Date,