In 2025, the Czech Republic will switch to daylight saving time on March 30. On this day, at 2 AM, the clocks will move forward by one hour, shortening the day to 23 hours. This time will remain in effect until October 26, when the clocks will be set back one hour, restoring the lost hour in the form of a 25-hour day.
The transition from standard (winter) time to daylight saving time always takes place on the last Sunday of March, while the switch back to standard time occurs on the last Sunday of October.
The Origin of Daylight Saving
The original, natural time is winter time. The concept of daylight saving time was introduced to save energy, particularly to reduce the need for early morning lighting in factories. However, later studies showed that the energy savings were minimal, and medical experts found that switching between time zones could have negative health effects. Despite this, the practice has not been abolished.
A Brief History of Time Changes
Time changes have a long history in the Czech lands. The first implementation occurred in 1915, but it was abandoned in 1918 with the collapse of Austria-Hungary. Daylight saving time was reintroduced during World War II in 1940 and remained in effect for nine years.
It made a comeback three decades later, in 1979, during a severe oil crisis and harsh winter in Czechoslovakia when the government sought ways to save energy. The last significant change to the system took place in 1996 when the Czech Republic adjusted its daylight saving time schedule to align with the European Union, extending its duration from six to seven months.
In 2018, the European Union voted to abolish seasonal time changes, but member states could not agree on whether to keep standard or daylight saving time permanently. As a result, the biannual time change was extended until at least 2026.
Health Effects of Time Changes
Experts frequently highlight the negative health impacts of switching between time zones. Former president of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Helena Illnerová, studied biorhythms and warned that transitioning to daylight saving time worsens both physical and mental well-being. Many people report insomnia and nausea after the last Sunday in March.
However, Alena Sumová from the Institute of Physiology at the Czech Academy of Sciences argued that adopting daylight saving time permanently would be even worse for human health than the current system. According to her research, the human body needs exposure to daylight early in the morning rather than later in the day.
Source: IDNES.CZ
Photo: Canva
