Tu Be’Av 2024 – Festival of Love

Hebrew Date: TU Be’Av ( 15th of Av) , 5784

Gregorian Date: Monday, Aug 19th, 2024

Tu B’Av, also known as the fifteenth of Av, is a cherished, albeit minor, Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love, known , especially in modern days as Ḥag HaAhava ( He : חג האהבה day of love )  but The historical significance of Tu B’Av dates back to the days of the Temple in Jerusalem.

What is that name ?

The name “Tu B’Av” comes from the sound of the two Hebrew letters whose combined numerical value corresponds to that of the date (15). Specifically, the value 15 is obtained by combining the values of the letters Tet (9) and Vav (6), which can be read as “tu.” Hence the name of the festival, Tu B’Av.

Note for the the non-hebrew fluent : the number 15 can also be obtained by combining the letters Yud (10) and Hey (5), but this combination would coincide with the first two letters of the Tetragrammaton (the divine name), so it is supplanted by Tet and Vav to avoid using a sacred name, which can happen in other cases such for example Tu-Bishvat.

What is the significance of the day ?

During the days of the Temple, Tu B’Av marked the beginning of the grape harvest. It was a joyous holiday. On Tu B’Av, it is said that  unmarried girls in Jerusalem dressed in white garments and went out to dance in the vineyards.

These celebrations were particularly festive and joyful.

After the conquest and division of Canaan under Joshua, the ban on inter-tribal marriage (to prevent inherited territory from passing to other tribes) was lifted on Tu B’Av.

According to another traditions – The last remnant of the generation that had been forbidden from entering the Promised Land found that they were not destined to die. They woke up on Tu B’Av, realizing they would enter the Land of Israel with the new generation. The Tribe of Benjamin was allowed to intermarry with other tribes after the incident of the Concubine of Gibeah (as described in Judges 19–21 )

Tu B’Av has a rich history and continues to be celebrated as a day of love and joy in modern times.