▁were ▁cru cial ▁in ▁for ging ▁identity ▁and ▁pres ervation ▁during ▁foreign ▁dom ination : ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Orth odox ▁Church , ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁language , ▁and ▁the ▁Kos ovo ▁M yth . ▁When ▁the ▁Princi p ality ▁of ▁Ser bia ▁gained ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁Orth odox y ▁became ▁cru cial ▁in ▁defining ▁the ▁national ▁identity , ▁instead ▁of ▁language ▁which ▁was ▁shared ▁by ▁other ▁South ▁S lav s ▁( C ro ats ▁and ▁Bos nia ks ). ▁The ▁tradition ▁of ▁sla va , ▁the ▁family ▁saint ▁fe ast ▁day , ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁eth nic ▁marker ▁of ▁Ser b ▁identity , ▁and ▁is ▁usually ▁regarded ▁their ▁most ▁significant ▁and ▁most ▁solemn ▁fe ast ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁eth n onym ▁is ▁unclear ▁( See : ▁Names ▁of ▁the ▁Ser bs ▁and ▁Ser bia ). ▁ ▁Gen etic ▁orig ins ▁▁ <0x09> ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁triple ▁analysis ▁– ▁aut os om al , ▁mit och ond rial ▁and ▁pat ernal ▁— ▁of ▁available ▁data ▁from ▁large - scale ▁studies ▁on ▁Bal to - S lav s ▁and ▁their ▁proxim al ▁populations , ▁the ▁whole ▁gen ome ▁SN P ▁data ▁situ ates ▁Ser bs ▁with ▁Mont en egr ins ▁in ▁between ▁two ▁B alk an ▁clusters . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁them ▁is ▁formed ▁by ▁Bulg ari ans , ▁Roman ians , ▁and ▁Mac ed oni ans ▁and ▁the ▁second : ▁by ▁Cro ats , ▁Sloven es , ▁Bos nia ks ▁and ▁Hung ari ans . ▁Y