We all like weekends, but this particular one always drifts a dark cloud over my usually cheerful state of mind. At 2 a.m. this Sunday, we cut off Daylight Saving Time (DST) until it resumes on  March 12, roughly four and a half months from now. By setting our clocks and watches back an hour, we gain an extra hour of sleep, it’s true. We’ll need to pay back that bonus next March, though.

Historians quibble about where and when this all started. Parts of Canada started using DST as early as 1908. Germany, we are told, started using it in 1916 to save  fuel during World War I. We in the United States weren’t far behind. We started using it two years later in support of the war effort. During World War II, DST in the United States was in effect during the entire year. Think of it.

I love Daylight Saving Time for the extra hour of light it provides. When it’s turned off this time of year, I get grumpier. It gets dark much too early. Winter’s coming.

Not everyone loves Daylight Saving Time, though. For decades, most of Indiana steadfastly ignored what the rest of the country was doing and refused to observe it. That changed in 2006, and now all 50 states participate. Indiana’s two time zones can add to confusion among visitors. Part of the state is in the Eastern time zone, and part is in the Central.

How do you remember which direction to re-set your timepieces? Probably by thinking “spring forward; fall back.” I prefer to tell myself simply to turn my watch toward summer, my favorite time of year.

Today’s word(s): Daylight Saving Time. Calling it Daylight Savings Time is an error. Drop the second s.