The Slava of St. Sava, or St. Sava’s Day (Savindan), is an annual celebration dedicated to the first Serbian Archbishop and prominent medieval intellectual, Sava Nemanjic. According to Serbian Orthodox church tradition, St Sava is the protector of all schools, and his day is celebrated on January 27 every year in all public schools in Serbia. There are no classes on this day, but attendance by all students and teachers at the celebration is obligatory. However, Serbia is a multiethnic state, with more than a million of its 7 million citizens belonging to some other ethnic groups than the Serbs. The modelling of public ceremonies as Slavas, rather than as secular occasions with newly invented, transformed, or revived festive elements in institutions that should primarily have and promote an inclusive and democratic character, carries the powerful message of the civic, ethnic, and religious identity being interchangeable.
This paper focuses on different actors involved in organising and participating in the St. Sava’s Day celebration in Serbian public schools. It aims to increase knowledge about the celebration of St. Sava Day and contribute to a better understanding of the participant’s view of the school Slava celebration. The two research questions are: How is the Slava celebrated in Serbian public schools? And how do different actors in the school slava celebration interpret its meanings? The research material is collected through an analysis of digital data material and observation of St Sava’s Day in three primary schools in Serbia’s capital Belgrade.