A European hare jumps through a wetland in the Netherlands

© Jim Brandenburg/Minden Picture

Getting a jump on spring. Daylight savings time

Just like the European hare, we get a little more hop in our steps this time of year—and a bit more daylight as well. It's the second Sunday of March, when most Canadians and Americans 'spring forward,' setting their clocks ahead one hour in observance of daylight saving time (DST). Then on the first Sunday of November, we'll 'fall back' by turning our clocks back an hour.

The practice of resetting clocks with the seasons became widespread during World War I, first in Germany, as a way to conserve coal used for heating homes. Other European countries followed suit, and so did North America.