The change of time to winter time in 2025 is in the foreground not only as a practical matter, but also as a phenomenon full of historical interest and unexpected consequences. In the protected Central European Zone, switching from Daylight Saving Time (CEST, UTC+2) back to Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) means moving the clocks back one hour — typically on Sunday morning. The transition to winter time 2025 awaits us on October 26 during CQ WW DX contest-u.
The main reason for this step is to make better use of daylight in the more beautiful autumn and winter months — the mornings are longer, the evenings come earlier, and this could, according to the original ideas, save on lighting. However, more and more research is now appearing that questions the very effectiveness of this change. For example, a 2008 study found that energy use in one state even increased by 1% after the time change was implemented instead of decreasing.
Curiosities include the fact that:
The term "Daylight Saving Time" is correct - that is, without the "s" ("savings") - although the incorrect variant "savings" is often used colloquially.
The belief that the time change was introduced because of farmers is a myth: indeed, farmers were some of the biggest opponents of the move, as the clock shift disrupted their morning and evening work routines.
The first known implementation of daylight saving time was on July 1, 1908, in Thunder Bay (then Port Arthur) in Canada - decades before the mass implementation of World War I.
For 2025, when the time is moved back, we gain an extra hour at night, which in many municipalities means less light in the morning - especially for early risers. The body has to adapt to the shift: the changes can affect sleep, reaction times and in some cases even health.
For radio amateurs, the transition to winter time brings more than just changing the clocks - the nature of the conditions on the bands also changes. With the onset of earlier twilights, the period when the lower frequencies, especially the 160m and 80m bands, are extremely usable for long-distance connections is lengthening. Nighttime signal propagation improves, the ionosphere is more stable and DX operation takes on a new dimension. On the contrary, daytime zones such as 10 m or 6 m become less active as the day shortens. For many, winter time means a return to "long wires", experiments with low antennas and attempts to make contacts in difficult conditions.
Pokiaľ sa rozhodnete využiť tento okamih na úpravu svojho režimu — napríklad o 10 – 15 minút posunúť vstávanie či večerné ukladanie sa – môžete zmierniť dočasné nepríjemnosti. Zmena na zimný čas je každoročným rituálom, ktorý má síce logiku, ale aj temné stránky — a to nielen z hľadiska fyziológie či energetiky, ale aj spoločenské. Preto pri tejto jednoduchosti „posunúť hodiny o hodinu“ možno nezanedbať súvislosti, ktoré sa skrývajú za vašou každodennou rutinou.