When Do We Change the Clocks in 2012

Confused as to when you are supposed to change the clocks in 2012? There are many people out there who have a tough time understanding the Daylight Saving Time concept. If you happen to be one of them, the following write-up on Daylight Saving Time 2012 will help you clear all your confusion.
As the practice of Daylight Saving Time change continues to spread beyond Europe and North America, to the other parts of the world, knowing when to change the clocks has become all the more important. Basically, Daylight Saving Time (DST) change is a practice wherein the clocks are turned ahead or reverted back by an hour during a specific time of the year in a bid to make sure that the afternoons - which are considered to be more productive than the other times of the day, are longer. Though all the countries which practice Daylight Saving Time change turn their clocks ahead and revert them back by an hour in a calendar year, the dates on which the clocks are changed in the United States (and other regions of North America) differ from the dates followed in Europe.

Daylight Saving Time Change in the United States
Even though it is not mandatory for the states to follow this practice in the United States, they have to abide by the guidelines laid in accordance to the federal law - if, at all, they choose to follow the same. As of today, only two states - Arizona and Hawaii, and a few territories don't follow this practice, but instead stick to the Standard Time (ST). If you happen to be a citizen of the United States, or if you plan to visit this country sometime in 2012, the following information on when is Daylight Saving Time change will be of a great help for you.

When Do We Change the Clocks in 2012?

This 'specific time' of the year wherein the clocks are to be changed begins on second Sunday of March (wherein the clocks are to be turned ahead by an hour) and ends on the first Sunday of November (wherein the clocks are to be reverted by an hour). This practice of changing time clocks on second Sunday of March and first Sunday of November was only adopted in 2007, prior to which the days chosen to mark the beginning and end of Daylight Saving Time were the first Sundays of April and October respectively. Given below are the details about when you are supposed to change clocks in 2012 as per the guidelines set by federal law.

When Do We Turn the Clocks Ahead in 2012?
If you take into consideration the fact that the second Sunday of March marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, 11th March, 2012, will be the day on which you will have to change your clocks and turn them ahead by an hour. (As the clocks are moved ahead by an hour at the beginning of Daylight Saving Time on this day of spring, it is also known as 'spring forward'.) At 02:00AM on this day, you will simply have to turn your clocks to 03:00AM to stick to the schedule followed by the entire nation from that day until the end of Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday of November.

When Do We Turn the Clocks Back in 2012?
The first Sunday of November marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, and thus you are supposed to revert your time clocks back by an hour. That being said, 4th November, 2012, will be the day on which you will have to change the time once again and revert your clocks by an hour from 02:00 AM to 01:00 AM. (As the clocks are reverted back by an hour on this day of fall, it is also known as 'fall back'.) From this day onwards, you will be following this new time until Daylight Saving Time 2012 spring forward which is scheduled for 10th March, 2013.

European Summer Time 2012 Dates
In Europe, the similar arrangement to change clocks is known as the European Summer Time change - wherein the last Sunday of March is observed as the beginning of Daylight Saving Time and the last Sunday of October as its end. In 2012, Europeans will change their clocks and put them ahead by an hour on 25th March and revert them back by an hour on 28th October. Almost all the European nations, with a few exceptions like Russia and Iceland, follow this Daylight Saving practice.

That was a significant bit of information on Daylight Saving Time 2012 intended to convey when you will have to change the clocks. That being said, you need to make a note of the fact that the information on time setting change mentioned above is predominantly restricted to the North American regions, like the United States of America, Canada, Greenland, etc. The European countries, on the other hand, follow a different schedule (see the box above), and you will have to follow the same if you reside in Europe or if you are visit some European nation in course of the year.
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Last Updated: 12/29/2011
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