The Darkest Day

I know that technically, the darkest day of the year is the Winter Solstice in December, but for me the darkest day will always be today--the day we "fall back" from daylight savings time back into standard time.

It only makes sunset one hour earlier, which doesn't seem like it should be that much. But there's a huge psychological difference between darkness at seven and darkness at six. And even though, again technically, winter doesn't start until December, the darkness has always really marked the start of winter to me. It makes me feel like I want to hibernate.

But in 2007, the darkest day will be a week later. A law was passed this year that will make daylight savings time last longer to save energy. Now daylight savings time starts on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October, but in 2007 it will begin on the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November.

Two less weeks of winter--it's not often that Congress does something that cool. It's a nice light on a dark day.