Will the Argentine sun start shining “earlier”? The question began to loom over water cooler talk and social media debates after the lower house unexpectedly passed a bill on Thursday that would change the country’s time zone during the winter. 

The provision is now set to be addressed by the Senate.

If the bill passes, Argentines would have to set their clocks back one hour in April until August in line with the GMT-4 time zone and set them back to GMT-3 (one hour forward) in September until March. This would place the country in the same time zone as New York and Washington and widen its gap with the United Kingdom and Europe.

In practical terms, the change would mean that in Buenos Aires, for example, in August the sun would rise at 6:30 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. and would set at 5:30 p.m. instead of 6:30 p.m.

The provision has stirred intense debate between supporters and opponents. While enthusiasts point to the benefits of more sun in the early morning, critics say it goes against deeply ingrained traditions. In a country used to having dinner at 9 p.m. and going to bed around midnight, a slight tweak........

© Buenos Aires Herald