If you do go to the US for business or onsite client visits on the first weekend of November (2am on the first Sunday of November, to be exact) and do not know about the time change, or your manual clock on your wrist watch or hotel alarm clock doesn’t get changed, you are not really at a loss getting to work one hour early on Monday. Being early in the U.S. is always better than being late (which is what would happen if the same situation happened during Spring Forward in March).

When is the sunrise and sunset after Fall Back?

While travelers to the US may not easily notice this, due to the time being shifted by one hour, the sun will rise one hour earlier on the first Sunday morning after fall back, and the sun will set one hour earlier due to the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Maybe you have also wondered….
“What kind of small talk can we make about daylight saving time? Can we ask how is daylight saving time?”

This insightful question asked after a US culture training on small talk left me speechless for a moment, with an answer of, “Well, we do make small talk about the end of day light saving time, but not quite like that…. give me a second…”

Questions to use for “fall back” 
(First Sunday in November in the northern hemisphere):

Friday or week before the time change:

• I am looking forward to the time change only so my daughter/son can get on the bus when it’s actually light out….
• I’m not looking forward to coming home in the dark next week….
• Only a few more days left to come home before the sunset…..
  (After the time change, the sun would set one hour earlier. In some areas, the sun may set before 5pm.)

Anytime during the first week of the time change:

• Have you gotten used to the time change yet? (Avoid asking it using the word “timings.” The word “timings” is not common in American English.)
• Were you able to sleep til the alarm or did you wake up early? 
• It’s nice to get an extra hour of sleep, isn’t it? 
• Wow it feels so weird with the sun setting earlier. I hate when the sun sets at 5, don’t you? 

Ask Tuesday- Friday after the time change: 

• Was it dark out when you went home yesterday/Tuesday/this week? 

On Monday to colleagues you already know who have children:

• Wasn’t it nice that the sun was out when the kids got on the bus this morning? 
• It’s nice that it wasn’t dark when the kids got on the bus this morning, wasn’t it? </span>

Ask only to colleagues you are close to who you already know go to church OR you met them at church:

• Were you on time for church or early?
• I forgot to change my clock and was early for church on Sunday, what about you?</li>

This list is not exhaustive. Feel free to reach out to us to share about other questions or topics you have discussed with your colleagues around this time of the year. I am happy to have a discussion with you!

Jennifer Kumar, author of this post, provides U.S. Culture Training to offshore teams working with American counterparts. 

Our Small Talk course, Building Trust and Good Relations With US Americans, teaches individuals how to engage in casual conversations with others. It covers topics like initiating conversations, asking open-ended questions, active listening, and body language. The course helps participants build rapport and establish connections with people they encounter in social settings. Overall, a Small Talk course is a valuable investment for anyone who wants to improve their social skills and feel more comfortable in various social situations.