Aikamuutos

Aikamuutos is a Finnish term referring to the adjustment or alteration of the time reference used in civil timekeeping. The word combines aika (time) and muutos (change). It is used to describe changes to clocks, time zones, or time standards.

The most common usage concerns daylight saving time: in spring clocks are moved forward by one hour and in autumn moved back by one hour. Countries may shift between standard time and daylight time, which is a form of aikamuutos. In addition, time zone realignments or administrative changes that affect time reference can be described as aikamuutos.

In technology and data processing, aikamuutos may refer to updating system clocks, time zone data (such as tz database updates), or correcting timestamps after time changes. It can affect scheduling, logging, and synchronization across networks and devices.

Legislation and policy around aikamuutos vary by jurisdiction. In the European Union, daylight saving time has been coordinated across member states, and discussions have considered reform or discontinuation of seasonal changes. As of the 2020s, many jurisdictions still observe the practice, and Finland follows the EU schedule, using standard time in winter and daylight time in summer.

See also: Daylight saving time, Time zone, Clock adjustment.