בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים
The Three Weeks 2026

The Three Weeks in 2026 begin at dawn on Thursday, July 2 (the 17th of Tammuz) and end at nightfall on Thursday, July 23 (after Tisha B'Av on the 9th and 10th of Av). The Nine Days, the intensified final stretch, begin at sunset on Wednesday, July 15 (Rosh Chodesh Av) and end at nightfall on Thursday, July 23.

During the Three Weeks, traditional Jewish law prohibits weddings, live music, haircuts and shaving, purchasing or wearing new clothes, and reciting the Shehecheyanu blessing on new items. Many communities also avoid joyous gatherings, music performances, and luxury purchases. The restrictions become stricter in the final Nine Days, when meat, wine, laundering, swimming, and bathing for pleasure are added.

The Nine Days (Tisha Yamim) are the final stretch of the Three Weeks, running from Rosh Chodesh Av through Tisha B'Av (a span of approximately nine days). During this period, traditional Jewish law adds restrictions on top of the Three Weeks customs: most communities avoid meat and wine (except on Shabbat), do not launder clothes, do not bathe or swim for pleasure, and do not engage in commerce considered joyous. This is the most intense period of communal mourning on the Jewish calendar after Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av itself.

Yes. Kosher restaurants remain open throughout the Three Weeks. They typically pause live music and celebratory programming, and many promote their dairy and fish menus, especially during the Nine Days when most communities refrain from meat. Many restaurants also offer pre-fast and break-fast packages around the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av. Dairy restaurants, pizza shops, sushi spots, and fish-focused kitchens see their busiest week of the summer during the Nine Days.

The custom of avoiding meat and wine during the Nine Days commemorates the absence of meat sacrifices and wine libations after the Temple was destroyed. Both were central to Temple service, and abstaining from them reflects mourning for that loss. The custom begins with Rosh Chodesh Av and continues through Tisha B'Av. Shabbat during the Nine Days is an exception: meat and wine are eaten as normal because mourning customs are suspended on Shabbat. Some Sephardic communities follow different timelines for the meat-and-wine restriction.

Swimming for pleasure is generally permitted during the first 17 days of the Three Weeks (until Rosh Chodesh Av) but is restricted during the Nine Days. Some communities follow a stricter custom of avoiding swimming for pleasure from the 17th of Tammuz onward. Swimming for medical reasons (physical therapy, exercise prescribed by a doctor) is permitted throughout. Children may swim in any case.

Most Ashkenazi communities prohibit haircuts and shaving from the 17th of Tammuz through Tisha B'Av. Sephardic custom traditionally restricts haircuts only during the actual week of Tisha B'Av (Shavua Shechal Bo). Exceptions exist for professional necessity, hair that has grown unmanageably, and medical needs. For young children whose hair has not yet been cut, the upsherin ceremony may be permitted in some cases. Consult a rabbi for specifics.