Is Spain in the wrong time zone?

The time zone of Spain

Do not forget to change your clock this Saturday night, March 26, when at 2 am will become the 3 am welcoming the Easter and the summer time! But have you ever wonder why Spain changes the time when the country is not on that timezone UTC+1? is this a geographical mistake? Looking at the time zone we can see that countries such a France and Spain technically have a time zone of UTC+0.

If we go back in time, until 1940 Spain was on the same time as Britain, Portugal and Morocco, which are on roughly the same line. It was on 1940 during the World War II when the Nazis had occupied from Germany to Holland, Norway, Belgium and France. On October 1940, the dictator Adolf Hitler visited the Spanish Fascist dictator, Francisco Franco, to seek more support, but at that time the country was badly damaged due to the Civil War (1936-1939) that had destroyed whole families who fought each other for the National or Republican side. It was a huge social, economic, political and military crisis and Franco had little to offer the Nazis. The Fuhrer wanted Spain’s support next as he had already done with Italy. Franco’s position was neutral at that moment but Spain changes its time, one hour ahead, lining up well with German watches.

Consequences:

• During 76 years Spain has not been in its correct time.
• The sun rises and sets later than other countries in its region.
• We sleep almost an hour less than other Europeans.
• We need to take a nap to compensate this possible jet lag.

 

Do you think Spain must leave the wrong time and adjust their watches allying with UK?

With our lazy lunchs at 3 pm, our extensive breaks at noon with famous naps included and our frenetic nightlife at the cafes and restaurants enjoying the sunlight seems that Spain feels really comfortable. Moreover, these are characteristics that have increasingly become the strongest and appreciated points of the Spanish culture.
If you visit us this Easter, remember… take your time and enjoy your holidays! We recommend you the best plans.