ט״ו בְּאָב
Tu B'Av 2026

Tu B'Av 2026 falls on Wednesday, July 29 (the 15th of Av, 5786). The day begins at sundown on Tuesday, July 28 and continues through the following day. It is a particularly popular date for weddings, engagement parties, and romantic celebrations.

Tu B'Av (literally 'the 15th of Av') is a minor Jewish holiday with major joyous significance. The Mishnah identifies it as one of the two happiest days of the Jewish year alongside Yom Kippur. Historically, it commemorates several events including the lifting of the prohibition on intertribal marriage, the end of the desert generation's dying, and the resumption of the daily tamid offering. In ancient times, unmarried women would dance in white in the vineyards near Jerusalem on this day, seeking matches. In modern times, Tu B'Av has been embraced as a Jewish day of love.

Tu B'Av is often called the Jewish Day of Love or the Jewish Valentine's Day, but the comparison is loose. Tu B'Av predates Valentine's Day by thousands of years and is rooted in ancient Israel's matchmaking traditions rather than the Roman or Christian origins of February 14. In modern Israel, Tu B'Av has become a popular day for engagements, weddings, and romantic gestures, often marked by flowers, romantic dinners, and time spent in nature.

Tu B'Av is happy for several reasons combined. The Talmud (Ta'anit 30b-31a) lists six historic events that occurred on this day: the lifting of the ban on intertribal marriage, the end of the desert generation's deaths, the lifting of restrictions on the daughters of Tzelafchad's marriages, the political reconciliation of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the resumption of the daily offering, and the burial of those killed at Beitar. The day also marks the turn from the long-day-short-night summer toward shorter days, when nights become more conducive to Torah study.

Yes, and many couples specifically choose Tu B'Av for their wedding. The day is considered especially auspicious for marriage because of its associations with the ancient matchmaking traditions and its joyous character. Following the somber Three Weeks and Tisha B'Av, Tu B'Av is often the first day on which weddings are scheduled after the mourning period, making it one of the most popular wedding days of the summer.

There are no specific food requirements for Tu B'Av, but many families and couples celebrate with romantic kosher dinners, sweet foods symbolizing love (honey, dates, figs), and wine. The day's connection to vineyards makes wine pairings popular, and kosher wineries often release special bottlings around the holiday. Restaurants frequently offer Tu B'Av date-night specials and prix-fixe menus.