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Jewish holiday From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tu B'Av (Hebrew: ט״ו באב, lit. 'fifteenth of Av') is a minor Jewish holiday.[1] In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love (חג האהבה Ḥag HaAhava), akin to Valentine's Day.[2] It has been said to be an auspicious day for weddings.
Tu B'Av | |
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![]() Dancing girls on Tu B'Av | |
Official name | Hebrew: ט״ו באב English: Fifteenth of Av |
Type | Jewish |
Observances | Tachanun and similar prayers are omitted from daily prayers |
Date | 15th day of Av |
2023 date | Sunset, 1 August – nightfall, 2 August |
2024 date | Sunset, 18 August – nightfall, 19 August |
2025 date | Sunset, 8 August – nightfall, 9 August |
2026 date | Sunset, 28 July – nightfall, 29 July |
Frequency | Annual |
Called Tu B'Av because of the sound of the two Hebrew letters whose combined numerical value corresponds to that of the date (15). The value 15 is obtained by combining the values of the letter Tet (9) and Vav (6), which, together, can be read as "tu," hence the name of the festival, Tu b'Av. The number 15 can also be obtained by combining the letters Yud (10) and Hey (5), but such combination would coincide with the first two letters of the Tetragrammaton, and thus are supplanted by the letters Tet and Vav to avoid using a name for the divine. Av is the name of the month in the Jewish calendar.
According to the Mishna, Tu B'Av was a joyous holiday in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of the grape harvest.[3] On Yom Kippur and Tu B'Av, the unmarried girls of Jerusalem dressed in white garments and went out to dance in the vineyards.[4][1][5][lower-alpha 1] The Talmud states that there were no holy days as happy for the Jews as Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur.[7]
Various reasons for celebrating on Tu B'Av are cited by the Talmud and Talmudic commentators:[7]
Tu B'Av is a day of joy that follows Tisha B'Av by six days and contrasts with the sadness of Tisha B'Av.[9] Tu B'Av does not have many established religious rituals associated with its celebration except that Tachanun is not said—either at mincha the day before or on the day itself—and a bride and groom traditionally do not fast if their wedding falls on Tu B'Av. These customs commemorate the happy events that occurred in the history of the Jewish People.[10]
In modern times, it has become a romantic Jewish holiday among secular Jews who mostly see it as the Jewish equivalent of Valentine's Day.[11] After experiencing a surge in popularity in the modern state of Israel, Israelis prefer to celebrate love on Tu B'Av and North American Jewish organizations throw celebrations and offer teachings on Tu B'Av.[4][12][13] It serves as a day for matchmaking, weddings, and proposing, but also for increasing Torah study.[14] Tu B'Av is more popular than Valentine's Day since secular Jews and Haredi celebrate Tu B'Av while Haredi are less likely to be aware of Valentine's Day.[12] On the other hand, many Orthodox Jews argue the essence of Tu B'av is prayer.[15]
In Isaac Blum's 2022 novel, The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen[16] the story begins during Tu B'Av.