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veer_gw

Springing Forward

18 years ago

Tonight in the UK our clocks go forward one hour; I believe this will happen in the US next weekend.

I notice from my copy of Canadian Geographic that from Spring 2007 the US will be altering the Spring time-change to the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.

The Canadian Provinces of Ontario, and New Brunswick will do the same. Saskatchewan never changes its clocks, and the rest of the country is undecided.

This all seems most confusing especially when the different time-zones have to be taken into account.

I would be happy if the clocks just stayed as they were; the older I get the more disruptive I find these changes to my 'system'!

Sunday 26th in Mothering Sunday in the UK so may I wish all RP mothers, grandmothers ggrandmothers a very happy day with breakfast in bed, flowers, little gifts and the family being nice to you all day.

It's not too much to ask is it? :-)

Maybe you have your own family traditions.

Comments (41)

  • 18 years ago

    Oh dear...I didn't realize that the US spring forward was next week. I'm only 27 and find it completely disruptive to my system. Of course, this could be because I'm on the edge of getting just enough sleep (never any extra).

    There are a few states in the US that never change their time. It does get a bit confusing with all the different time zones, but I sure wish I lived in one of those non-changing places!

  • 18 years ago

    I find the change very disruptive as well, and records show that there is an increased number of automobile accidents on the first Monday after both of the time changes. My preference would be that we stay on daylight saving time year round.

    I don't find all the time zones in Canada confusing, Vee - we're used to taking them into account. I frequently make out of province calls at work and automatically stop to think what time it is before I dial. Saskatchewan, however, is admittedly confusing - we are in the same time zone in winter but not in the summer.

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  • 18 years ago

    There are only four time zones in the lower 48 states of the US, so it isn't that confusing--a three-hour difference between East and West coasts. I just Googled daylight savings time and was delighted to find out that next Sunday is The Change. Here in New England, darkness arrives just after 4pm in the darkest months of the year--late Nov, all of Dec, early Jan. Many of us find that far worse than winter cold.

    The website said that over the next few years, Daylight Savings Time will begin a week earlier each year til it lands in early March, a big change from late April which it was for so many years. And it will be pushed back to early November--so the poor Trick or Treaters may actually be able to see where they are going on Halloween.

  • 18 years ago

    >This all seems most confusing especially when the different time-zones have to be taken into account

    Not only do we have the time zones to consider, but there are three states who do not go DST. Arizona, my state, decided a long time ago that they really didn't need another hour of daylight in the 100+ degree summer. So every time this happens I have to think how many hours dif I am from my friends in the east coast, or if we are the same time as CA or an hour different. Geesh

  • 18 years ago

    I wish the time change would be shorter rather than longer. The children who have to stand out in the dark mornings to catch a schoolbus always worry me.

    By the way, Vee, I became a step-great-grandmother today. He is a bouncing baby boy with lots of dark hair and is as cute as a button!

  • 18 years ago

    Of course here in Australia it is time for us to put our clocks back. This year the weekend has been put into April to fit in with the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and I have to say it will be a relief to get some light in the morning.
    Daylight Saving and time in general is rather a contentious issue in Australia. The Northern Territory and Far North Queensland of course don't want DS as they are both far enough north to be tropical, where DS doesn't work properly. Western Australia doesn't do it either. We normally have three time zones - Eastern, Central and Western - but at this time of the year have five.
    An issue which is local for South Australians is the constant push by some for us to live on Eastern time. We currently operate on a zone half an hour behind the east, and are one of only two or three places in the world on a half hour difference from GMT. I think the idea of adopting Eastern time is totally ridiculous - as it is, our time zone is right on the eastern side of the state and not good for those who live in the west - and I would much prefer to be an hour behind the east.
    The argument is usually that it would be much easier for the business world, which in this day of electronic communication is just a crock. As if Chicago would operate on NY time, or London go to European time!!
    OK, sorry, rant over - enjoy your lengthening days up there in the Northern Hemisphere.

  • 18 years ago

    I used to work nights...I always tried to work on the spring ahead night: worked only 11 1/2 hrs instead of 12 1/2 but didn't lose any pay. On the other hand, on the fall back night, we did 13 1/2 hours, and didn't get paid for the extra hour. And try charting 13 hours of fluids (both in and out - when they only provided 12 boxes/lines. A real pain.

  • 18 years ago

    Carolyn, many congratulations on becoming a G grandmother. It must be nice to admire and spoil the next generation and be able to hand them back at the end of the day so you just get all the 'good bits'!

    Kath it seems the 'problems' with daylight saving, as you say, come from the ordinary people who's lives are not improved by the time difference. Over here people in Scotland complain that the mornings, in midwinter, are still dark at 9am, others say there are more accidents to children on their way home from school . . .a specious argument as modern kids are carried everywhere by car . . . and there are some Big Business Maestros over here who do say we should be on 'European Time' as the EC is now meant to be one big Happy Family :-(

    On the Mothering Sunday front. My DD has just sent me a copy of Runaway by Alice Munro. How did she know I love AM's writing? She must surely rank as one of the best short story writers.

  • 18 years ago

    Best wishes for all on Mothering Sunday! I am grateful to you in the U.K. for having your mother's holiday before ours in the U.S., to remind me. In this electronic age, I can order the flowers now and they will be delivered in May as required!

    I used to despise Daylight Savings Time when I lived in California - I saw no reason to have MORE sunshine. Yes, even sunshine can become tiresome, especially when you are engaged in a never-ending battle to keep it from ruining your furniture, your home, your skin, etc. But now that I am in New England and experiencing the long, dark, dark winters (did I mention it is dark?) I am looking forward to it. And those mornings when I would like to sleep late - often because I have gotten in from work at 2 AM, I like having dark in the AM and light in the PM. A personal preference, of course, and one that is probably not shared by many.

  • 18 years ago

    Today's the day of the change (after midnight last night) and it's a beautiful spring day in Tidewater. Somehow, the time change did not bother me -- I woke up around 5 a.m. Perhaps because I am a "morning person", anyway, for once, I "hit the ground running" as we say, and was taking a walk at sunrise.

    Whenever I post to these threads, I always have to wonder what time and temperature it is where others are posting from. We are an international lot -- Hawaii, Canada,Iceland, Italy, the UK, Australia....

  • 18 years ago

    The 'extra hour' we now have in the evening has been of little use as for, although the cold and Arctic winds have gone they have been replaced by Atlantic storms and much needed rain. At least the increased warmth has started Spring 'moving' with a few early tree buds appearing and, if you know where to look, both white and blue violets . . .and more rather bashed-up daffs. At least they will all be here for Easter decorations.
    Anyone want cuddly Easter Bunnies? Our garden is over-ridden with them; just send your address.

  • 18 years ago

    We don't have Daylight Savings Time, which means we are an hour even further behind the rest of the world. I'm up at my usual ungainly hour -- Mary, I'm a morning person, too. Spring means Kona Winds (that blow from the southwest), and with them come rain. It's not unusual, but this year seems to be worse than normal -- some places have tripled the amount of rainfall they usually get, causing floods that contaminate the beaches and have forced closings...the poor tourists are despairing.

  • 18 years ago

    I have come to hate daylight savings time. Arizona has it right -- they just don't switch. I used to think they were unreasonable but now I think they are sensible.

  • 18 years ago

    The crowd was down at church this morning, so evidently some people forgot to spring.

    Mary, you must have our weather from yesterday, which was gorgeous. Today it's cooler with some rain. My daffs are about gone, but the lilacs are budding.

  • 18 years ago

    Our church crowd was way down, too...definitely the time change. I am a morning person, too - but I didn't make it up at my "usual" time this morning. However, I was ready to go when I did get up. Now we'll see if I can really adjust tomorrow morning.

    I agree with rosefolly - Arizona has it right!

  • 18 years ago

    I wish we kept daylight savings all year. Those Nov-Jan months are particularly brutal when we lose an hour of daylight in the evening. I'd much rather go to work in the dark than come home in it. And I like having summers when the sun rises at 5 am and sets at 9:30 pm. So much to do! For all of you bird watchers, the rufous hummingbirds arrived at my feeders yesterday morning...I woke to the sound of a male buzzing around my feeder outside my bedroom window. JOY!! Love this time of year!

  • 18 years ago

    I've noticed our hummingbirds have returned this week, too. We get mainly ruby-throats, though.

    I wish we could stay on standard time all year. It's difficult to get the kiddos to go to bed when it is still light outside. I'm not as much of a night owl as I used to be. I do enjoy going outside at dusk and seeing what animals are out, though. Sometimes we see bats, too.

  • 18 years ago

    Janalyn-I agree about daylight savings all year. I have a horrid time with my personal time clock when we spring forward. It seems I'm tired for weeks. I do like the extra daylight though-it makes it seem that spring may be more than a tease? It's now 7p.m. EST and the sun has not yet set-birds are chirping away and the temp is around 50. Yesterday it rained and was barely 40-Friday was sunny and 80, no wonder my daughter is looking to teach in Maryland or northern Virginia when she graduates from college. She says the weather is just enough better than western NYS. Happy Mothering Sunday to you all-our Mother's Day is May 14-I believe. My younger DD graduates that weekend so Mother's Day will take a back seat. Elder daughter and her DH are coming from San Diego. At that point she will be 4 months pregnant-yes I am going to be a grandma in the fall.

  • 18 years ago

    omigod, it's 11:25 pm and I'm not sleepy. Totally agree with you Pam, it'll take me weeks to adapt.

  • 18 years ago

    Talk about confusing. Arizona is one of the only states that does NOT go on daylight savings. I always forget that after daylight savings starts we are on West Coast time and all of our usual adjustments for making long distance calls, watching programs on television, travel times etc. are screwed up!
    However, Arizonans decided that one more hour of daylight in our blazing summers was not what they wanted!
    Penny

  • 18 years ago

    Pam, what better Mother's Day gift than a graduating daughter? Congratulations, and on your coming grandmotherhood, too.

  • 18 years ago

    Not only has Spring brought more cold weather with temps below freezing on several mornings, but the first case of the much talked about H5N1 strain of Avian 'flu to our shores. A very dead and decomposing body of a mute swan was taken from the shore-line of a small fishing village in Fifeshire (Eastern Scotland near St Andrews).
    Much wringing of hands by the authorities and hopes from the public that the Govt doesn't make the same monumental c*ckup as it did during the Foot and Mouth outbreak some years ago.
    Will my chickens have to wear face-masks? Must our family go into quarantine? Does eating eggs and poultry make us more likely to catch the virus?? Am I clutching my throat and gasping?
    What plans have the US, Canadian, Aus Govts. made to deal with this crisis?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Avian Flu: Some Miserable Facts

  • 18 years ago

    I thought governments only dealt with crises after the fact?

  • 18 years ago

    Well, it seems that the swan, breed as yet unidentified, may have been a Johnny Foreigner that either floated over from the Danish coast or belonged to a German flock and somehow made its way to the Scottish mainland.
    So nothing to worry about until next time!

    A question. Are Good Friday and Easter Monday holidays (Bank Holidays as we call them in the UK) in your country? Do you spend the time frolicking in the sun with friends and family? Do you do Easter eggs/bunnies etc?
    Good Friday used to be very quiet over here with almost nothing moving, all businesses and shops shut. These days nearly all the stores remain open but offices will be closed. Some people get the Tuesday off 'in lieu'.
    Today (Thursday) the ancient ceremony of the distribution of Maundy Money by the monach takes place; this year at Guildford Cathedral, Surrey.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Maundy Money

  • 18 years ago

    Good Friday and Easter Monday aren't Bank Holidays, tho many businesses do take one or both off. Most schools do as well, tho they call the whole thing 'April Break'. And yes, like any American holiday, Easter is filled with every possible combination of bunnies, eggs, chocolate, and frolicking.

    Since Passover is somewhere at the same time, there is often much gnashing of teeth among my family and friends coz most of the goodies are not kosher for Pesach! Tho it doesn't really matter in our family.

    BTW, Chag Somayach Chaverim (happy holiday friends!)

    Thanks for that link - I've heard of it before but didn't know all it entailed.

  • 18 years ago

    In Canada, both Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays.

    I've been reading about some of the Easter holiday traditions and, apparently in Norway, people take that time to read lots of murder/crime mysteries and to watch a lot of crime dramas on TV. I figure this wasn't as unusual as painting eggs and hiding the darned things.

    That being said, I think some of the more, er, bizarre (and no -- there's no other word for it) rituals surrounding the Easter weekend can be found in the Philippines. It's fairly common to have some guy get scourged and then NAILED to a cross for a few hours. I don't think they go the distance with the crown of thorns or the spear in the side but they do do the scourging (sometimes while the guy is carrying the cross across town) and the actual crucifixion. I've personally seen the scourging (I grew up there!) and the carrying of the cross (or a large piece of lumber). I've never seen the actual crucifixion but I've seen videos and pictures.

    Check out the link below for some more ....... interesting rituals. (I personally like the one where men "test" each others amulets with jungle bolos, revolvers, whips, and other weapons.)

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.philtravelcenter.com/philippines/travelinfo/rizal-festivals.html

  • 18 years ago

    As Cindy wrote, in the US, it depends upon the business or the school as to closure for "Good Friday." (Some do declare it a holiday).

    Easter is very much a family time, in the US. A special dinner or lunch, with family, many of whom will have attended either Good Friday services or Church on Easter Sunday. In my part of the world, the easter egg hunt for children is a very big thing. There are many of these, often tied in with spring festivals, if the weather is nice.

    I recall when I was growing up, it was the custom to give children easter ducklings or easter chickens, or bunnies at this holiday. Unfortunately, the young fowl were often dyed bizarre colors, such as pink or green. Thankfully, this custom seems to have ceased. I was once given a white easter rabbit, which became a family pet in a city backyard pen. Now, I think it's more a time of giving of chocolates or flowers.

    When I was young, eons ago, also many people bought special kits to dye easter eggs for their children. I still have some Psanky (sp.?) dyed eggs after the Ukrainian fashion, with designs on them.

  • 18 years ago

    As Dynomutt said, in Canada both Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays along with Easter Sunday (in the case of people who work on sundays, they get paid more on holidays and such.)

    Unfortunately, in the university system, Easter weekend usually occurs during the spring exam period and exams are held on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. This means, during my entire undergraduate degree I never came home for Easter. This is completely opposite to the UK, where universities get a month long spring break for Easter. I actually came home (to Canada) for that Easter! Ha ha.

    The best thing is that when I come home for Easter I still get a chocolate bunny and other candy from my parents.

  • 18 years ago

    That custom of giving animals has been very well publicized by the humane society here, people are asked not to do this, and its not as a big a thing as it used to be.

    Ah, Easter Baskets. I remember my first one. Age 11, my sis had just married a goyish guy (non Jewish) much to the consternation of my parents (later, this consternation greatly reduced as bro, and I, both married out of the religion) Anyway, I thought my new BIL was wonderful (still do). So on a Sunday, he shows up with this huge, I mean huge basket of goodies. Oh my I was in heaven. Had to share it with my bro, darn it, but I loved it. That is until a few days later when my mom noticed an odd smell coming from my room. Oh, those eggs still in the basket? No, they haven't been in the fridge, why?....

  • 18 years ago

    In Australia, Good Friday is a holiday, with very little open. Easter Monday is also a holiday, but some shops will be open. Not much is open on Sunday either, but Saturday is a normal day. The bookshop I work in is usually open on Sunday, but not this weekend.

    Good Friday used to be for hot cross buns, but nowadays they are on sale from about Valentine's Day, so are thus not so special. Easter Day is the day for chocolate of all kinds - eggs and bunnies are still popular, but at least two Aussie companies do a chocolate Easter bilby, which is a small marsupial. The rabbit isn't very popular in Australia - brought here by early settlers, it took over and is very much a pest.

    The Easter break is a popular time for short getaways here but the road toll is usually bad, and this year I know a lot of people are electing to stay home.

  • 18 years ago

    As Kath says Hot Cross Buns are a must on Good Friday. The DH makes these himself and they are far superior to the store-bought variety (which have also been selling since about February).
    We talk about Easter egg hunts in the UK but I have yet to meet anyone who has organised ot taken part in one. This could be because the weather at this time of year can be quite cold and wet . . .still no leaves on the trees around here . . . The chocolate variety have been in the shops for weeks and are usually overpriced and more wrapping/cardboard than filling.
    As in Australia rabbits are a terrible pest in the UK and do untold damage to crops and gardens. After years in decline following the outbreaks of myxomatosis (a truly horrible disease) bunnies are back with a vengance.
    It is also no longer possible to by traps over here as they are considered cruel. The next best thing is a small box with an opening at the front into which the bunny is meant to hop and wait until it is picked up and carried 'elsewhere' to be released!
    Cindy and Mary there is no tradition of giving Easter rabbits as pets in the UK but some thoughtless people buy their children puppies for Christmas, which leads to endless problems as the families are usually bored with them before the new year and large numbers are 'dumped' at the roadside or given to animal sanctuaries etc.
    I am afraid one of my gripes is that for a nation of so-called animal lovers we can be so thoughtless and cruel to those we claim to love, either through neglect or 'over-pampering'. Do you see wobblingly fat dogs waddling down the street or wearing silly little coats . . .or even worse the token-baby dogs/cats who take priority over humans? Sorry. Down Vee, or brickbats will follow.

    Cindy, your sister wasn't really 11 when she got married was she?!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hot Cross Bun Recipe

  • 18 years ago

    Well, 2 x 11.... :)

    >This could be because the weather at this time of year can be quite cold and wet .

    Hadn't thought of that. Kind of chilly to wear those little flimsy pink and yellow dresses.

    One year a friend was celebrating her birthday on Easter Sunday. I went with her and her family to brunch. Unusually for Phoenix, it was cold and rainy so we all dressed accordingly. Well, I guess other folk either didn't bother to look outside, or decided to wear their Easter clothes no matter what the weather was. Lots and lots of shivering goosepimply women and girls in those spring dresses and sandals.

  • 18 years ago

    I bought a new hat to wear to church on Sunday. I still buy a little chocolate and some jelly beans, although we don't have little ones coming by. We just have to eat them ourselves--such a chore. We now go out to brunch after church, and most of the stores are closed.

    When my daughter was little, we used to buy those PAAS brand egg coloring pills that you dissolved in water with vinegar added to set the color. Once when her dad was using vinegar to clean up some old pennies, she walked through the kitchen, sniffed, and said, "It smells like Easter in here."

  • 18 years ago

    Today is St George's Day and what does it say about the English that there are never any celebrations to mark the event? I suppose there may be a few white flags with red crosses flying from various town-halls (a symbol recently taken over by football supporters) but otherwise it is just like any other day.
    Still not very warm in this part of the country although some blossom is appearing and lots of primroses, cowslips, ladies smock etc. Still waiting for leaves on the trees!
    Of course HM Queen has been having an extended 80th birthday bash and wisely asked for sunshine as a present. My invitation must have been lost in the post.
    Also Shakespeare's birthday today. As I grew up in Stratford I remember it as a day of 'Flags of the Nations' and parades of ambassadors, theatre folk and pompous town dignitaries weighed down by their chains of office.
    The newspapers are reporting a downgrading of the importance of WS in English school exams in the UK. These days it seems only necessary to write your name at the top of the paper to achive a pass mark.
    Is this dumbing down a world-wide phenomenon?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Do Schools Still Teach Shakespeare?

  • 18 years ago

    Vee --

    I don't know if dumbing down is a worldwide phenomenon but here in Canada (or at least in Ottawa), teachers aren't allowed to flunk students. I have a good friend who's a teacher (Grades 3 and 4 I think) and she's told me that they are NOT allowed to hold back students. Yes, they can flunk them during the year but they cannot flunk them at the end of the year, regardless of whether they thought the student deserved a pass or not.

    There's also the story (again, from my friend ho also used to teach grade 6 and 7) of a Grade 7 student who was functionally illiterate in both official languages (English and French). The kid was in the French immersion program from an early age because the parents wanted it. Problem was, the kid wasn't learning a darned thing and was just being given a pass because, well, that was the unofficial policy. By the time the kid was in grade 7, they decided to move him to the regular English program. By then, the kid hadn't learned a darned thing in either English OR French. He couldn't read OR write in French, much less in English.

    As for Shakespeare ...... It's pretty hard to teach the Bard's works to people who can't read.

  • 18 years ago

    > she's told me that they are NOT allowed to hold back students.

    This is because research (lots of it) shows that retaining a kid does no good, esp if he is going to be in the same class with the same teacher, being taught the same method. Failing kids need to be given a chance with a different teacher and method, and perhaps some tutoring. Putting them back a year just makes them try less.

    As for Shakespear - its not just him. Many English depts are struggling with what to include and not include, esp as many of our kids aren't able to read the material without a lot of help. There also was a backlash agains the 'dead white men' books, those in Classic Lit that we all had to read, and more of a look at literature of other countries and traditions. I think this is a good move - but I think we have lost something as well.

  • 18 years ago

    Our PM John Howard was in the papers last week for saying that schools should retain/teach Shakespeare in the curriculum. Many educators suggest that modern texts are understood better by students, but personally I think it is part of the idea that tackling something hard, that you don't understand at first, is a bad idea. I suppose that means 'dumbing down' doesn't it? *g*

    My personal bugbear with the education system here is the idea that students' work shouldn't be corrected, as it hurts their self esteem to find out they are wrong. While I agree that for a child who struggles this could be hard, I firmly believe that children DO NOT learn by being presented by correct examples, and they need to have their errors (gently and appropriately) corrected. Our 15 year old is forever saying 'Me and X did/went/want to....' and he has never once heard me or his father say that. Also, although he is capable of spelling, he was never encouraged to make an effort. I believe that if one teacher at primary school had marked all his spelling mistakes with red pen for one week and made him write them out 5 or 10 times each, he wouldn't be a bad speller now. Obviously this isn't suitable for a child who struggles, but for my basically very smart but very lazy son, I think it would have made a big difference.

    OK, rant over, it's safe to start reading again *VBG*

  • 18 years ago

    BTW, I don't hold teachers personally responsible for what and how they teach in every situation - I realise that a lot of this comes from 'on high' and the teachers have little choice.

  • 18 years ago

    As a teacher tired of fighting those who hold all teachers responsible for anything wrong with education, I so appreciate that addendum!

    >My personal bugbear with the education system here is the idea that students' work shouldn't be corrected, as it hurts their self esteem to find out they are wrong

    Whats frustrating is that 99% of the teachers agree with you. Stuff like this comes from 'research' that the media finds and prints. So those on high see it and think, oh we need to make a policy. And of course, they'd never think to ask teachers. What do we know, anyway ?

  • 18 years ago

    Actually, in Ontario, they've realized that their new primary level curriculum (implemented over the past 10 year or so) is not as effective as they had planned and they are giving more flexibility to the teachers and accepting feedback in order to improve the students learning strategies.

    As a future high school teacher (I will be attending teachers college this fall) I am not looking forward to a strict curriculum. I hope that I can help more students by adapting what I teach to what will most benefit them.

  • 18 years ago

    I agree with cindydavid that we have lost something in the shift towards more literature from other countries and traditions. Yes, it's a good idea to learn more about other cultures, countries, and traditions. However, this shouldn't mean that what used to be taught should now be excluded.

    I don't know -- I think I might be from a different age but correction and being left back sounds, to me, to be more correct than being allowed to continue without earning the right to do so. I guess to me it's more of a reward/effort thing -- if you put in the effort, then there's a reward. If you get the reward without the effort, then that cheapens the reward or, worse, gives the student a feeling of entitlement to something he may not be entitled to.

    I do realize that maybe the whole issue is that of using a single approach to all students. Not all students learn the same way nor do they learn at the same pace. Perhaps it would be best if a tailored approach was taken for each student. Of course, finding the resources for such an approach opens up a whole new can of worms .....

    And I also agree with astrokath. In talking to that teacher friend of mine, I've realized that her hands were tied with respect to a lot of things regarding the students. I don't blame her (or any of the other teachers) for the results -- the policies and direction from their superiors (and the politicians who directed those superiors) should shoulder the blame.

    Rambo -- good luck with the teacher's college. I have another friend who is entering the teaching profession this September and she's really looking forward to it. My other teacher friend still loves teaching -- she's just getting annoyed at all the politics that comes with the job.