The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-27
|. TO-DAY We CELEBRATE.
scryians Celebrate Festival Of Their
iis- Patron Saint Today.

1nStrenches along the battle line, in
military camps and hospitals. In
cities and towns and rural districts,
and In distant lands far! from the wor-
worn fatherland where Servians
have wondered, the festival Of st.
Saya will be celebrated today. The
enthusiasm of Ireland on st. Pat
rick's day Is a dim reflection Of the
great popular celebration by the
Serbs OF the holiday dedicated to
their patron saint. The many Ser.
VANS in this country will today fol.
low the example Of their countrymen
at home and seek the intercession OF
st. Sava for their devastated and dis.
tracted fatherland. While st. Sava
was Servian, and a prince Of the
royal house Of that country, he is
revered all over the Balkans.
Sava lived in the thirteenth cen
fury, when the country was indepen.
dent and had not yet fallen under
the yoke of the Turks. He was the
eldest son Of tho reigning prince. bu.
he renowned his right to the throne
in order to spread religion and edu.
cation among his people. His travels
extended all through the Balkans, ana
he instiiled by his preaching the first
desire for a higher civilization and
a fuller education. He put the schools
Of Servia on a systematic basis and
fostered education and religion N
many ways. Although a prince OF
the royal family, he Travelled about
in the simplest style from village To
village, living among the people ana
sharing their Joys and sorrows. He
made q pilgrimage to Jerusalem, ana
on his return paid a visit to Bulgaria,
where he died.
The bones Of the pious prince were
later transported with all due rever-
ence to Seryia and placed In the prin..
.cipal church Of the country. There
they remained, as nation shrine,
until the Seryians, after long
struggle, were finally. subdued by the
Sultan Mahomet H., in 1859. When
the Turks captured the capital the
remains of st. Sava were torn from
the tomb and burned on a pyre that
held all of the sacred relics Of the
conquered Serbs. Ever since then
the Servians have celebrated st.
Sava's day with religious ceremonies
and popular festivities.
Il st. Saya planted the seeds OF en-.
lightenment which ushered in the
golden era Of Servian history. In the
following century Seryia had made
such great progress that 1t became
the center Of a great Balkan Empire.
The Servia Of that glorious period
included not only the country now
held by the Serbs, but all OF Mace.
donna, Albania, Bulgaria, Thessaly
and Northern Greece. The empire
lasted only about a half a century,
when the Turks captured the country
and executed the emperor. The Ser
;yians continued their resistance for
many years, but in 1853 they were
completely conquered. Although
they often rebelled, the Serbs were
not entirely freed from Turkish domi:
nation until 1878. ~
On st. Saya's day very loyal Ser.
Wan recalls the long vanished glory
OF his country, and dreams of a time
when Seryia may again become the
center of Balkan empire. Many
Serbs believe that hope may be
realized as q result Of the present
war, In which Servia has played so,
heroic q part. But Greece and Bull:
garia, too, have memories of past
grandeur and high aspiratio for the
future, and, even though the Turk Is
driven from Europe, mutual jealousy
and distrlst will probably prevent
the organization Of o Balkan empire.