What you may not know is that 2026 is a unique year for Halloween and Daylight Savings Time. Not only does Halloween fall on a Saturday this year, but Daylight Saving Time ends on the same weekend, adding an extra hour to this year’s festivities.
No matter what plans you have on your calendar to celebrate the October holidays – whether you’re hosting a costume party, trick-or-treating with the kids or staying home and watching scary movies — Thanks to the biannual clock change, your 2026 celebrations just got a round of rewards.
The United States and many other countries in Europe, Canada, and South America observe Daylight Saving Time twice a year. This American custom begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
But why is this year special? Learn more about the rare mashup of Halloween and Daylight Savings Time in 2026, how long it will take for it to happen again, and why Halloween won’t happen on a Saturday again in more than a decade.
When is Daylight Saving Time in 2026?
As the old adage goes, clocks “forward” one hour in March and “go back” one hour in November.
In 2026, daylight saving time will take effect at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, and clocks will return to normal time on Sunday, November 1 at 2 a.m.
If you’re not up at 2 a.m., you can set your clock back one hour before bed or when you wake up on Sunday morning.
If you’re curious, the earliest daylight saving time can end is November 1st, and the latest daylight saving time can end is Sunday, November 7th. This means that this year, the clock-changing practice could end as early as a November date.
You may be interested to note that next year, in 2027, daylight saving time will end on November 7 (the latest date).
When is Halloween 2026?
Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31st this year. While the date of this spooky holiday doesn’t change every year, the day of the week it falls on does.
Last year Halloween was a Friday. Next year, in 2027, it will be Sunday. As for another coveted Saturday, that won’t happen for more than a decade. That’s right, the next Halloween after 2026 will be on a Saturday, not until 2037.
The long wait is aided by leap years; three of them to be exact. Leap years in 2028, 2032 and 2036 changed the days of the week so that Halloween no longer falls on a Saturday for the next 11 years.
Halloween and Daylight Saving Time in 2026
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice that this year Halloween falls on Saturday at 2 a.m. (technically Sunday morning) and the clocks will be set 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 coincides with Daylight Savings Time?
The next time October 31st coincides with daylight saving time will not be until 2037. So be sure to enjoy Halloween Saturday and the extra hour to make the most of it, because it will be 11 years until it happens again.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from today: