Savor an extra hour Sunday

Relax, you have an extra hour to turn back those clocks. U.S. time zones officially drop back to Standard Time Sunday morning.

At the gong of a clock, what had been 2 a.m. will instantly become 1 a.m.

The change provides commuters and school children with extra hour of daylight in the morning, but yields darker early evenings.

The practice has become more complicated as the number of time-keeping devices has multiplied beyond the bedside alarm clock. Most cell phones, computers and mobile devices will automatically adjust, but the microwave, oven, coffeemaker, car radio and VCR are likely to need attention.

Daylight saving in the summer months took hold, both in the U.S. and in Europe, during World War I as a means to conserve power on the home front.

When the war ended, some countries dropped Daylight Saving, others retained it. During World War II, the U.S. Congress put the entire country on War Time, which also set clocks ahead one hour of standard time. Great Britain also adopted War Time, although they decided to shove clocks ahead two hours during summer months.

Daylight Saving Time has always engendered debate. Farmers, who usually work by natural sun time, registered strong opposition. Railroad, bus and plane scheduling is also affected by time zones as well as the temporary shift of Daylight Saving Time, so it is universally understood that arrival time is listed as the hour in the destination city.

In 1966, the U.S. Congress adopted the Uniform Time Act, to establish a daylight saving time system within each time zone.

Under legislation enacted in 2007, daylight savings always begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2 a.m. the first Sunday of November.