Eesti in brief - 2011-12-01

The stormy winds that conquered Estonia on Sunday brought lots of work for rescuers, along with disruptions to the country’s electricity supply and shipping traffic, reports LETA. Rescuers were summoned on 97 occasions. They mainly removed trees that had fallen across roads. In Kohtla-Jarve there was a report about a loose tin roof; in Laane-Virumaa a tree fell on a car that was driving and one person was injured. The wind also knocked over the Christmas tree that was just last week erected in Tallinn’s Town Hall square and that had already fallen over once last week. Several other Estonian towns reported winds knocking over their freshly erected Christmas trees. Eesti Energia said Monday morning that over 6,500 clients were still deprived of electricity. Ferries on the Saaremaa-Hiiumaa route do not sail on Monday and Line Line hydrofoils on the Tallinn-Helsinki route do not sail either. Wind speeds on Nov. 27 had gusts up to 27 m/s on Saaremaa.

The Christmas Market opened in Tallinn on Saturday, cultural fund Tallinn 2011 reports. According to the organizers, the Christmas Market has never been just a venue for selling, but rather a cultural experience that includes Father Christmas and a varied concert program that involves actors from VAT theater, dozens of choirs and dance groups. The cultural program began on Nov. 26 with a concert by Luther’s studio chamber choir; the true arrival of the Christmas season was celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 27, when the first Advent light was lit. Together with the closing program of the European Capital of Culture ‘Happy End’ on Dec. 22, the Christmas Market will celebrate the beginning of winter. After the New Year different ethnic groups will present cultural programs. The Christmas Market will be open from 10:00-19:00 until Jan. 8, 2012. Tallinn Christmas Market has been chosen as one of the most beautiful Christmas Markets of Europe.

Estonia recorded swelling female obesity statistics, now the fourth highest rate in the European Union, at 20.5 percent, reports Eurostat. British women and Maltese men topped European obesity rates. Estonia’s neighbor Latvia recorded 20.9 percent. The lowest shares were recorded in Romania, with eight percent for women and 7.6 percent for men; Italy with 9.3 percent and 11.3 percent; Bulgaria at 11.3 and 11.6 percent. France, which is known as a “slim nation,” has obesity levels at 12.7 and 11.7 percent. “There is no systematic difference in obesity between women and men,” said Eurostat, adding that the percentage for women was higher in eight EU nations, higher for men in 10 and equal in one. The figures released by the European Union’s statistics agency showed the percentage of obese adults ranging from eight percent to 23.9 percent for women, and 7.6 percent to 24.7 percent for men.