On Sunday, Europe switches to winter time. A question of time: Europe switches to summer time, but Belarus does not Switch to summer time in Europe

The transition to winter time in 2017 in Europe will take place on Sunday, October 29. Ukrainians will set their clocks back one hour.

In 2017, the clock change will take place on the night from Saturday to Sunday, October 29, at 4 a.m. Clocks should be set back an hour, so people will have more time to sleep.

In the 17th century, the famous politician Benjamin Franklin, during a visit to Paris, noticed that people were using a huge amount of candles and began to think about how people could save an expensive resource. As a result, he came to the conclusion that changing the time by just an hour would save a huge amount of candles.

After a satirical essay about the need to switch to summer time and then to winter time, more and more scientists from all over the world began to come to a conclusion. that it is simply a necessary condition for a successful economy.

Germany and England then officially switched to daylight saving time in 1916 to save energy, moving all clocks forward an hour in the spring and moving them back in the fall. Since then, more than a hundred countries have begun to change their clocks.

It is worth noting that from time to time different countries either refuse to change time or return to this tradition.

The system of summer and winter time in Europe was introduced at the beginning of the last century. Despite the fact that modern technologies have repeatedly confirmed that this step is not a way to save energy, and leading doctors talk about the disruption of human biorhythms, European countries continue to switch to winter and summer time.

Until now, the clock hands are moving: Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine, Estonia.

Changing time from winter to summer and vice versa is carried out in accordance with the European Union directive, obliging all member states to comply with this law, reports the Rosregistr website. EU-wide, this happens simultaneously on the last Sunday in March (when clocks are moved forward an hour) and the last Sunday in October (when clocks are moved back an hour).

Note that in different countries this happens at different times, since in Europe the transition to winter time is carried out not according to local time, but according to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), more precisely, according to Coordinated Universal Time (Coordinated Universal Time). UTC).

So, for example, Londoners will change their clocks to two o'clock in the morning local time, and residents of Germany, France and Italy - to three o'clock in the morning. Citizens of Turkey, Greece and Finland will be able to sleep an hour longer only after four o'clock in the morning.

In total, 78 countries use the transition to “summer” and “winter” time in one form or another.

In Russia, since 1917 and during the USSR, the practice of switching hands was either introduced or abolished. In 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev abolished the seasonal clock change. Since then, Russians no longer change their clocks.

The clock change is being done so that people can work longer and use less artificial lighting. The idea of ​​translation is economic and optimizing in nature.

The positions of doctors on the “clock issue” differed somewhat: some believe that changing the clock twice a year in no way affects a person’s well-being, others are of the exact opposite opinion.

The US switches to daylight saving time tonight, March 11th. Find out the answers to the main questions people have about this process.

Arizona, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Samoa do not change their clocks.

Note that in different countries this happens at different times, since in Europe the transition to winter time is carried out not according to local time, but according to Greenwich Mean Time ( Greenwich Mean Time- GMT), more precisely, according to Coordinated Universal Time ( Coordinated Universal Time- UTC).

In the United States and many other countries, daylight saving time began during the First World War.

In 1918, the United States passed an act on March 19 to “preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States.” The act established time zones and daylight saving time (DST), which began on March 31, 1918.

After the war ended, the DST Act was repealed. In 1919, countries could make their own decision whether to change time or not. Some states and cities continued to use it.

During World War II, President Roosevelt renewed the act.

In 2005, the clock change policy took its modern form. Since 2007, DST has been established to begin on the second Sunday in March and end at 2:00 am on the first Sunday in November.

Among the countries of the former USSR that implement seasonal clock changes: Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova.

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, as well as Japan, India, China and a number of other countries have refused to change the clock hands and live according to winter time.

The first country to start changing clocks to summer and winter time was Great Britain in 1908, then many European countries joined in. In 1918, the transition to seasonal time began to be practiced in the United States. The main purpose of changing clocks was to save energy resources.

How to survive the transition

Changing time is another portion of stress. In order to cope with it, you should resort to a few simple steps, writes New Time.

1. Fresh air

Hiking should be an integral part of your lifestyle at least a week before switching to daylight saving time.

Although, of course, walking can and should be part of a healthy lifestyle for any person, regardless of the time of year.

2. Go to bed early

Try to go to bed earlier about a week before your clocks are scheduled to change to daylight saving time.

This will give the body the opportunity to adapt to the shift in daily routine.

During this period, a daytime nap will also not hurt, if, of course, your lifestyle allows such liberties.

3 . Reduce the load

Try to reduce workload and stress in the days leading up to the clock change and the first weeks after.

American researchers have found that in the first days after switching to daylight saving time, the number of accidents at work increases by 5%.

Give your body a chance to adjust to your new daily routine. This is especially true for older people and those who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The risk of strokes after switching to daylight saving time increases by 8%, researchers from Finland found.

Athletes should also avoid peak training loads during the transition to daylight saving time.

4. Watch your diet

What we eat has a fundamental impact on how we feel. Try not to add to the stress that daylight saving time causes in your body with additional stress from poor nutrition.

Eliminate fatty and spicy foods, do not indulge in sweets. At this time of year, there are almost no natural vegetables with vitamins, so vitamin tablets will not harm.

5 . Don't drive

This may sound quite decadent, but in the first days after changing the clock, unconfident drivers should avoid driving.

American researchers have found that the day after daylight saving time switches, the number of accidents in the United States increases by 6%.

MINSK, March 15 – Sputnik. The transition to summer time this year will take place on the night of March 25th to 26th. As mandated by the European Parliament and the Council, clocks in Europe are changed to summer time every year. Thus, daylight saving time will traditionally move an hour ahead relative to the time in which each zone now lives.

What time are we in?

In spring and autumn, clock hands in Belarus were moved for 19 years - from 1992 to 2011. In 2011, Russia switched to unified time, and our country followed suit. However, on July 1, 2014, the State Duma of the Russian Federation decided to return winter time to the country. Belarus, in turn, refused to change the clock hands - now the time in our countries is the same, only the neighbors live in winter time, and we live in summer time.

Back in February, Minsktrans adjusted the schedule of international routes in connection with Europe's transition to summer time. Everyone who travels is asked to take into account the changes that will occur in the time of Western countries, especially in the first days after the clock switches - it is at this time that the most troubles occur due to passengers forgetting about the transition of many countries to daylight saving time.

Are the savings great?

In some countries, the issue of the advisability of seasonal clock changes is still being discussed, among them are Germany and Latvia. The transition to summer time in Europe is explained by economic feasibility - many experts believe that this procedure saves energy on lighting due to the fact that daylight hours are becoming longer.

According to rough estimates made by RAO UES, changing the clocks allowed saving about 4.4 billion kWh of electricity annually. In 1975, the US Department of Transportation estimated that electricity consumption was falling by 1% and oil consumption by 3 million barrels per month. But a year later, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology noted that there were no significant savings.

What if you don’t translate?

The only European countries that do not change their clocks are Iceland and Belarus, and last year Turkey also abandoned the seasonal change - now they live according to summer time.

Opponents of "translation" offer an alternative strategy. A number of countries that have abandoned the time change practice shifting the start of work at some enterprises to the summer. That is, the time is not changed, but work begins an hour earlier. However, there are nuances here. The Japanese, who also do not change time, have decreed that work in certain jobs that require high concentration should not begin until 2 hours after sunrise - for example, when taking exams.

So, for example, in the current year 2018, Ukrainians will have to change the clock hands to the night of March 24-25. Don't forget that in the spring the clock hands must be moved forward an hour. By the way, the official transition to daylight saving time occurs at three o'clock in the morning, however, residents of our country can change their clocks in advance, before they go to bed.
Alas, for most residents of our country, the transition to daylight saving time results in a series of consequences - weakness, fatigue, constant drowsiness. All of this can ultimately lead to stress. To limit your body from unnecessary stress, doctors advise preparing yourself in advance for the transition to daylight saving time. In order to switch to daylight saving time as painlessly as possible, doctors advise starting to wake up 10-15 minutes earlier a few weeks before changing the clock hands.
Gradually this time can be increased. In this case, getting up early after turning the clock hands will not be scary for you. In addition, doctors advise creating the most comfortable conditions for sleep - ventilation, silence and darkness are the key to healthy sleep. However, these tips are suitable not only for the period of transition to daylight saving time, but also for every day.
Also, doctors unanimously urge people to stop using gadgets before bed. In addition, it is recommended to avoid evening tea, coffee or alcohol a few hours before going to bed.