Saint Sava (Saint Sava, Serbian. Sveti Sava) — is the most revered saint of Serbia, the founder of the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church. Saint Sava was the youngest son of the great župan of Serbia Stefan Nemanja, his worldly name was Rastko.
The date of birth of Saint Sava is not known exactly, usually called 1175. As a teenager, he fled to Saint Athos and became a monk, receiving the name Savva. A few years later, his father abdicated the throne and also became a monk. On Saint Athos they founded the monastery of Hylanadr together.
Saint Sava achieved the independence of the Serbian Orthodox Church and became its first archbishop in 1219. Returning from Jerusalem via Bulgaria, he died on January 14, 1235 and was buried in the Bulgarian capital Tarnovo. His nephew, the Serbian king Vladislav, son-in-law of the Bulgarian king Asen, transferred his relics from Tarnov to the Mileshevi monastery a year later.
The relics of Saint Sava remained there until 1594, when Sinan Pasha took them from there to Belgrade, where he burned them on April 27, 1594 on Vracar. After liberation from the Turkish yoke, the Serbian people and the Orthodox Church decided to erect the Cathedral of Saint Sava (Serbian) on this site. Temple of Light Save) — is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world today — as a sign of memory and gratitude for everything that Saint Sava has done for his people and church.
St. Sava's Day is celebrated by the Serbian Orthodox Church on January 27 (January 14, Julian calendar).
The holiday of St. Sava — Savindan — is celebrated as school «slav» — Day of Spirituality, School Day — in all schools in Serbia and Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a day off for students.
The main celebrations are traditionally held at the Belgrade Center of St. Sava: a concert of pop stars, awards for the best students, students, teachers, teachers and other prominent public figures who have made significant contributions in the field of education and enlightenment.