Ready for the time change? The date coincides with an important appointment

There has been no shortage of controversy in recent months, but for the moment there is no talk of any repeal: daylight saving time is also back for 2024 and in fact, it's almost there now.
The change of time is a fixed event that twice a year calls us to move the hands of watches, alarm clocks and analog devices with time to adapt them to the established convention.
Summer time, as can be seen from the term, does not depend on astral rhythms but is agreed upon for specific practical reasons.
Of course, solar time is also a conventional system, but it depends on the time zone you belong to and on the solar measurement.
It therefore appears more traditional, but adopting summer time in good weather allows you to better tune your daily days with the natural rhythms of light and heat.
Beyond the advantages (and disadvantages), summer time is about to return and will allow us to enjoy an extra hour of light, but not only that: this year's time change coincides with an important appointment.
When does daylight saving time return? For 2024, daylight saving time returns on Sunday, March 31 and will remain in effect until October 27, 2024, when we will return to standard time.
There is no precise date for these transitions and indeed even the ways in which to decide the date of the time change have often varied over the years.
Since 2010, however, Italy has conformed to Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament, setting the transition to summer time on the last Sunday of March and the return to solar time on the last Sunday of October.
The choice of Sunday is not random, in fact our country had also previously adopted this solution to limit the impact of the time change on rest and daily life.
An important appointment It is not only the time change that always falls on Sunday, but also another important appointment for us Italians.
In fact, Easter is celebrated on Sunday 31 March.
This is of course a coincidence, as it is a moveable feast.
In particular, the date of Easter corresponds to the Sunday following the first full moon since March 21st.
This year, the first full moon after March 21st will be Monday March 25th and so will the date of Easter Sunday March 31st 2024.
Since the holiday falls between March 22nd and April 25th it is easy for the two dates, both Sundays, to coincide, just as will happen this year and also happened in 2016.
read also Easter gifts: 10 original gift ideas When to move the hands forward The change of time will therefore take place on the night between Saturday and Sunday 31 March 2024, precisely at 02:00: 00 you will need to move the hands forward, so as to move to 03:00 at night.
Electronic devices normally do not require any intervention but update the time automatically, however it is worth checking in the settings that you have not selected manual entry of the time.
Even if the devices are quite old they may need to be checked.
For analogue clocks and battery-operated alarm clocks, however, you will need to move the hands manually, bringing them forward by 60 minutes.
Also pay attention to the time in cars, in case you do not have a modern and recent vehicle, which is often forgotten.
Some cars have a convenient “daylight saving time on/off” selection, while others require the change to be done automatically.
How long is daylight saving time? Daylight saving time remains in effect until the last Sunday of October, which this year will be October 27, 2024.
Since both dates are not fixed, but depend on Sunday, daylight saving time remains in effect for a variable period.
For this year, for example, it will remain in force for 210 days, as will also happen in 2025 and 2026.
In the past three years, however, summer time lasted 217 days.
Changing the time in Italy, what is it for? The transition from solar time to summer time in the spring period was born with the aim of promoting energy saving, so much so that most European countries began to adopt this system during the First World War and the consequent need for the production of weapons.
Even today, the change of time has a positive impact on energy saving, especially when looking at the ecological transition, but in a much smaller percentage.
This is due to the spread of low-power devices, despite which energy savings are still significant.
Only when the ecological transition is truly efficient will the time change cease to have advantages from an energy point of view.
The lengthening of the days then has various effects perceived by most as positive, both in terms of health (thanks to more prolonged exposure to sunlight) and on the economy, thanks to tourism.
However, there are also undeniable disadvantages, including on health itself, for example several studies show repercussions on the sleep-wake rhythm).
There are therefore different pros and cons even in the same areas.
Consider the fact that fewer fatal accidents are recorded during the period in which summer time is in force, but on the Monday immediately following the changeover, road accidents involving pedestrians and workplaces are exceptionally high.
read also Bills, how summer and winter time affect prices Time change in the coming years If the rules on the use of summer time remain the same, for the years to come the time change dates will be as follows.
YearDaylight saving time startDaylight saving time end 2024 Sunday 31 March at 02:00 Sunday 2025 Sunday 30 March at 02:00 Sunday 27 October at 03:00 2026 Sunday 29 March at 02:00 Sunday 25 October at 03:00 2027 Sunday 28 March at 02 :00 Sunday 31 October at 03:00 2028 Sunday 26 March at 02:00 Sunday 29 October at 03:00 2029 Sunday 25 March at 02:00 Sunday 28 October at 03:00 2030 Sunday 31 March at 02:00 Sunday 27 October at 03:00 vv