Igor B. Cardoso
Daylight saving time ended earlier in 1964. Scheduled to run until March 31, the special schedule was moved up to the 1st of that month by President João Goulart, following discussions with the Minister of Mines and Energy, Antônio de Oliveira Brito. In the decree, the government justified moving up the end of daylight saving time -- originally introduced to put an end to the country's energy crisis -- citing the large amount of rain at the start of the year. It also took into account the need to resume the school year once the measure ended. Carried out overnight from Saturday to Sunday, the decree allowed many people to take advantage of the 25-hour day to enjoy a swim along Rio's coastline.
However, the early implementation of the measure raised concerns for the energy companies. Light released a statement saying that the later end of the service and the resulting increased use of artificial light by the population could cause an increase of up to 400,000 KW daily, canceling out the effects of the energy savings. The situation was particularly worrying throughout the Southeast of the country, where the reservoirs were still considered low by technicians.
As it does today, the existence of daylight saving time sparked debate. In a letter to the magazine
O Cruzeiro
, a reader spoke her mind, giving thanks for the end of the special daylight-saving schedule: "who was it (…) who invented this daylight-saving-time disgrace, which came to add to the many we already have (…). Do they have any idea what it's like for a mother to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to get her young children's food ready and then run out to catch transportation and arrive in time for work?"
Image description: The image is a black-and-white newspaper. At the top, it reads "SPECIAL DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME HAS ENDED." Below, there is a text explaining that daylight saving time ended throughout the country. The text mentions dates and details about the special daylight saving time, including the extension of the time in São Paulo and other locations. The text is left-aligned and occupies most of the page.“Hora especial de verão já acabou”.
Rio de Janeiro, 1 de março de 1964. Fundo Correio da Manhã / Fundação Biblioteca Nacional.