It was obvious that Daylight Saving Time started today when Rob’s phone began ringing at 6AM with mainland friends wishing Rob a Happy Birthday. We don’t observe DST in Hawaii, so that makes the islands an extra hour earlier now. Why? Read on and also find out what Benjamin Franklin had to do with this.
Hawaii gave DST a try back in 1933 for three short weeks. No one even seems to know why we ever tried it. It was in effect once again during World War II, when it was called Hawaiian War Time. Hawaii officially opted out of the Uniform Time Act in 1967.
With our tropical location, daylight savings isn’t necessary. We’re closer to the equator than the mainland, so there’s less of a difference in the amount of daylight between seasons.
When you’re visiting or calling Hawaii from now until November 6, Hawaii will be three hours earlier than the west coast. As a Kauai friend posted on Facebook today, “Living in Hawaii, Daylight Saving Time makes you feel another 1,000 miles away from mainland friends.”
(How do you like this Hawaii time watch? It was purchased at ABC Stores many years ago).
History of Daylight Saving Time
Often mistakenly called “daylight savings time,” this practice was created to make daylight extend further into summer evenings while creating darker mornings. Benjamin Franklin first proposed it in the 1700s in an essay he wrote. The first national implementation, however, was in Germany in 1916.
Daylight Saving Time Today
It remains a wide-scale global practice to this day, albeit under different names like Summer Time. About half of the world still observes this annual shift in time. It remains somewhat confusing, with our needing to remember those places that practice it and others that do not. Most of the U.S. observes DST, except Hawaii and Arizona (although the Navajo tribal lands do), plus Guam, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
The one thing we can all agree on, when DST begins on the mainland, we know that spring and summer are soon to arrive with it longer days and tropical nights here in the islands. Will you be joining us on a Hawaii vacation soon?
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Roy H says
Happy Birthday, Rob.
There’s only a half hour of sunlight difference between winter and summer in Hawaii so, what’s the point.
Aloha Guys
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Roy.
Thanks for that. Hope we can meet up sometime.
Aloha.
Wendy M. says
It’s actually well over an hour difference for sunset when you compare mid-December to mid-June.
Margaret W. says
Thank you for explaining the daylight savings change. I had it exactly backwards.
DebraM says
Hau’oli La Hanau Rob. Cute watch. Am missing mai tai’s on the lanai. Takes me a few days to lock into the extra hour difference, but I do like longer days. I think they should just keep it all year.Have a great birthday.
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Debra.
Thank you!
Aloha.
Julie H says
Happy birthday to Rob! I’ll be visiting my daughter & family in May for Mother’s Day. Don’t like the DST switch adding an extra hour across the miles.
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Julie.
Thanks! Yes, we too find DST and European Summer Time to be annoying – and they don’t even switch at the same time. Europe doesn’t go for two more weeks.
Aloha.
Starla G says
I wish they would end DST but I hope you have a great birthday. Can’t wait to get some tropical evenings in April.