Otepää becomes winter capital
The title of winter capital was officially handed to the southern Estonian town of Otepää on Sunday morning which was celebrated with a Christmas fair and concert.
Despite the lack of snow, astronomical winter started at 6.19 a.m. on Sunday morning and will last until March 30.
Over the coming months the town will host the, European Biathlon Championship, Winter Night Song Festival, and the Sauna Marathon.
"The winter capital gives people the feeling that we are an important place in Estonia. Otherwise everyone goes to the capital, but now the people of the capital come to us. It's just pure joy," said Jaanus Barkala, Chairman of the Otepää Municipal Council.
Estonia has a capital for each season. Türi is the spring capital, Pärnu the summer capital, and Narva is the country's autumn capital.
The astronomical calendar determines the seasons due to the 23.5 degrees of tilt of the Earth's rotational axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Meteorological seasons consist of splitting the seasons into four periods made up of three months each.
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Editor: Helen Wright
