Oëlleville
Encyclopedia
Oëlleville is a commune
in the Vosges
department in Lorraine
in northeastern France
.
Inhabitants are called Oëllevillois.
and a slightly longr distance to the north-north-east of Vittel
. Over 12% of the commune land is forested.
on December 6. Each year a member of the community, chosen for his imposing physique and the steely firmness of his eyes, is selected to dress up as The Saint, who is accompanied by Père Fouettard (better known to some English speakers as Hans Trapp in Alsace
or Zwarte Piet in Flanders
) with his own bag of less welcome seasonal gifts. A procession and other seasonal gift related celebrations and rituals ensue.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in northeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Inhabitants are called Oëllevillois.
Geography
The commune is positioned at the confluence of various minor roads approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) tp the west-north=west opf MirecourtMirecourt
Mirecourt is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France. Mirecourt is known for lace-making and the manufacture of musical instruments, particularly those of the violin family...
and a slightly longr distance to the north-north-east of Vittel
Vittel
Vittel is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the Vittel brand.-History:...
. Over 12% of the commune land is forested.
Tradition
The village makes a particular feature of the feast of St NicholasSinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
on December 6. Each year a member of the community, chosen for his imposing physique and the steely firmness of his eyes, is selected to dress up as The Saint, who is accompanied by Père Fouettard (better known to some English speakers as Hans Trapp in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
or Zwarte Piet in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
) with his own bag of less welcome seasonal gifts. A procession and other seasonal gift related celebrations and rituals ensue.