Abstract
Summary: The paper is about the Svetosava celebrations of Serbian schools in the Bitola province in the period from 1898 to 1912 and the impact of those celebrations on preserving tradition, raising national awareness and maintaining the basic spiritual values of the Serbian people in this area. After the closure of Serbian schools and the expulsion of teachers during the Great Eastern Crisis, permission for their reopening in the Bitola Province was obtained only in March 1897. The Serbian people celebrated all Christian holidays and thus raised their national spirit. Of all the festivities, those dedicated to the first Serbian archbishop, enlightener and teacher St. Sava stood out. We tried to describe the program and the way of celebrating this extremely important date of Serbian history based on preserved archival material, reports of correspondents of the Constantinople Herald and relevant literature. These celebrations showed that the cultural life of the Serbs in Turkey had not died down. In these celebrations and keeping other traditions, the Serbian people looked for hope that was taken from them from all sides. On the basis of the mentioned documents, it can be concluded that the Saint Sava cult was very strong among the Serbian population in the Bitola province, despite the opposition of the Turkish authorities and the pressures of the Bulgarian exarchate established in this territory. Non-recognition of Serbian nationality and pressure from all sides united Serbs in order to defend and preserve their customs. Saint Sava celebrations in Serbian schools in the Bitola province are a confirmation of the Serbian population's awareness of its roots and existence. The desire of the Serbian population to mark this holiday as worthy as possible represents its quiet but persistent resistance to imposed problems. The diversity in solving problems showed its spiritual strength and vitality even after centuries of stay under Turkish rule.