Halloween and Daylight Saving Time align in 2026: What to know
You may not know it, but 2026 is a unique year for Halloween and daylight saving time. Not only does Halloween fall on a Saturday this year, but daylight saving time ends the same weekend, adding an extra hour to this year’s festivities.
Whatever plans you’ve got on the calendar to celebrate the October holiday — whether you’re hosting a costume party, trick-or-treating with the kids or staying in to watch a scary movie — your 2026 celebration just got a bonus round due to the bi-annual clock change.
Twice a year the U.S., and a host of other nations in Europe, Canada and South America, observe daylight saving time. It’s a practice that Americans mark starting on the second Sunday in March and that ends on the first Sunday in November.
But why is this year special? Find out more about the rare mashup of Halloween and daylight saving time in 2026, how long it’ll be before it happens again and why Halloween won’t land on a Saturday again for more than a decade.
When is Daylight Saving Time in 2026?
As the old adage goes, clocks “spring forward” one hour in March, then “fall back” one hour in November.
In 2026, daylight saving time went into effect at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, and clocks will be returned to their regular time at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
If you won’t be awake at 2 a.m., you can turn your clock back one hour before bed or when you wake up on Sunday morning.
If you’re curious, the earliest date daylight saving time can end is on Nov. 1, and the latest it can occur is on Sunday, November 7. Which means this year, the clock-changing practice ends on the earliest possible date in November.
You might be interested to note that next year, in 2027, daylight saving time ends on Nov. 7, the latest date.
When is Halloween in 2026?
Halloween lands on Saturday, Oct. 31, this year. While the date of the spooky holiday doesn’t change from year to year, the day of the week it falls on does.
Last year, Halloween was on a Friday. Next year, in 2027, it’ll be on a Sunday. As far as landing on a coveted Saturday again, that won’t happen for more than a decade. That’s right, the next time Halloween falls on a Saturday after 2026 won’t be until 2037.
The long wait is thanks to Leap Year; three of them to be exact. Leap years in 2028, 2032 and 2036, shift the days of the week, preventing Halloween from falling on a Saturday for another 11 years.
Halloween and Daylight Saving are concurrent in 2026
If you’ve been following along, you’ll note that Halloween is on Saturday this year and at 2 a.m. (which is technically Sunday morning), clocks will be turned back an hour, giving revelers an extra hour to celebrate and everyone else, an extra hour to sleep in on Sunday.
When is the next time Halloween and Daylight Saving Time coincide?
The next time Oct. 31 and daylight saving time coincide also won’t be until 2037. So, make sure to enjoy both the Saturday Halloween and an extra hour to make the most of it, because it’ll be another 11 years before it happens again.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
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