The time change for the winter of 2024-2025 is approaching, marking the end of daylight saving time.

On Sunday, October 27, 2024, clocks will be turned back one hour, from 4:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., giving us an extra hour of sleep. This change follows the European Union directive on daylight saving time.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport issued an announcement to remind everyone of this adjustment, which is based on Directive 2000/84 of the European Parliament and Council of the EU. The change aims to make better use of daylight and conserve energy, with summer time lasting for 7 months and winter (solar) time for 5 months.

Some electronic devices connected to the internet, such as smartphones and smartwatches, will automatically adjust to the time change. However, it’s recommended to check that the adjustment has occurred, and manually adjust devices that are not internet-connected.

Brief History of the Time Change

The idea of daylight saving time originated with Benjamin Franklin, who suggested people wake up an hour earlier to make better use of daylight. In Greece, daylight saving time was first introduced on a trial basis in 1932 but was later abandoned. It was permanently adopted in 1975 after the 1973 energy crisis.

Globally, most countries no longer practice changing the time, especially in Asia and Africa. In 2021, the European Union decided to end the mandatory time change, leaving each country to choose between permanent summer or winter time. In Greece, the consultation on this issue has been postponed indefinitely.

Time changes in Europe were first implemented during World War I, in 1916 in Germany, to conserve energy for wartime production. Since 1996, a unified European system has been in place, where clocks are moved forward in spring and back in autumn.