Patron saint’s day (slava, baptismal name) is a holiday dedicated to a Christian saint when the family takes him/her as their patron and protector. The veneration of the holy protector among Serbs dates back to the time of Saint Sava. Today, the majority of the Orthodox in the territory of Serbia celebrate slava as an important holiday in which individual families and their guests – members of the extended family, spiritual relatives, neighbours and friends participate. As bearers of a unique Orthodox tradition, Serbs perceive slava as a way of expressing Christian and national identity.
It is customary for the family to go to church on the day of slava, where the bearer of the celebration - the candle holder, usually the head of the house or heir, lights the slava candle in the presence of the priest, who offers prayers for the health and blessing of the home. The Our Father prayer is recited, the troparion is sung to the saint and the slava cake is cut, which must have the symbol IС ХС НI KA (“Jesus Christ is victorious”) imprinted on it. The priest lifts the cake saying the words: “In the glory and honour of the Holy...”, cuts the cake in the shape of a cross and pours wine over the cut place. Then the cake is turned and broken into four parts while the priest congratulates the candle holder with the words: “Christ intercedes for us”, and the candle holder replies: “He does and He will!”
An important part of the celebration of the Patron Saint is the festive meal - a festive lunch where the whole family, its spiritual and blood relatives and friends gather.
Slava is a vital element of the intangible cultural heritage of the Serbian people, and in 2014 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In the 9th century, Cyril and Methodius, brothers from Thessaloniki, popularly known as the Holy Brothers, created the Glagolitic alphabet, the first script of the Slavs. By spreading Christianity and literacy among the Slavs, the brothers helped the cultural progress of the Slavic tribes, which is why history remembers them as “Slavic apostles”. The educational work of the Holy Brothers was continued by their disciples after their death. The Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Cyril and Methodius on 24 May, and the Republic of Serbia marks this date as the Day of Slavic Literacy and Culture, which is also celebrated in other Slavic countries.
