Tisha B’Av falls on July 22 through July 23 this year (2026), starting at sundown. It’s one of those Jewish holidays that doesn’t get a lot of airtime outside of more observant communities. But it’s actually a big deal in Jewish history and Judaism overall.
What Is Tisha B’Av?
Tisha B’Av (pronounced tish-AH buh-AHV) literally means “the ninth of Av” in Hebrew. Av is a month on the Jewish calendar that falls in late summer, and the ninth day of that month has become, over thousands of years of Jewish history, a day of collective mourning.
It’s widely considered the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. And once you understand what happened on this date, it’s not hard to understand why.
What Happened on Tisha B’Av?
A lot, actually. And the fact that so many devastating events in Jewish history are said to have occurred on this exact date is something the Jewish community has been wrestling with for millennia.
The two central tragedies are the destruction of the First Temple (by the Babylonians, in 586 B.C.E.) and the destruction of the Second Temple (by the Romans, in 70 C.E.). Both Temples stood in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and were the spiritual heart of Jewish life. Losing them, twice, on the same date on the Jewish calendar, was a trauma that shaped Judaism in ways that are still felt today.
But Jewish tradition connects other catastrophes to the ninth of Av as well. The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. The crushing of the Bar Kochba revolt, which ended the hope of reclaiming Judea from Rome. Some have also linked the Holocaust, while not a single-day event, to the broader pattern of devastation this date has come to represent.
It’s a lot of history to hold. That’s kind of the point.
The Meaning of Tisha B’Av
So why observe it now? The Temples are gone. The expulsion from Spain was over 500 years ago. What does any of this have to do with Jewish life today?
That’s actually a fair question, and different Jewish people answer it differently.
For many, Tisha B’Av is about the practice of collective memory, something Judaism takes seriously. The idea that the Jewish people have survived centuries of loss and still exist is worth pausing to acknowledge. The mourning isn’t just historical. It’s about staying connected to what was lost and to the people who came before.
There’s also a forward-looking dimension. Many Jewish traditions frame Tisha B’Av not as a day of despair but as a day that points toward hope and repair. The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem is mourned, but the possibility of rebuilding, literally or spiritually, is always part of the conversation.
The Nine Days
Tisha B’Av doesn’t arrive out of nowhere. The mourning actually builds over the first nine days of the month of Av, a period known simply as the Nine Days. During this time, traditionally observant Jews limit celebrations, avoid meat and wine (except on Shabbat), and hold off on things like haircuts, new clothing, and music.
Think of it as a gradual dimming of the lights before the day itself.
The Nine Days are themselves part of a longer mourning period that begins on the 17th of Tammuz (the month before Av), marking the first breach of Jerusalem’s walls before the Temple’s destruction.
Fasting on Tisha B’Av
Tisha B’Av is a fast day, and it’s one of the most significant ones on the Jewish calendar. If you’ve ever fasted on Yom Kippur, you have a sense of what this is like. Both are 25-hour fasts, from sundown to nightfall the following day.
The fast is meant to create a physical experience of grief. Going without food and water is a way of making the mourning felt in your body, not just your head.
If fasting isn’t something you’re able to do for health or other reasons, that’s okay. Judaism has always made room for exceptions. As always, talk to a doctor (and if you have one, a rabbi) if you’re unsure what’s right for you.
Laws and Practices of Tisha B’Av
Tisha B’Av comes with five main prohibitions, similar in structure to Yom Kippur. Beyond fasting, observant Jews also refrain from washing or bathing, applying lotions or cosmetics, wearing leather shoes, and physical intimacy.
There are also some practices specific to Tisha B’Av. People sit on low stools or close to the ground, a sign of mourning. Morning prayers are held without tefillin (the small black boxes with leather straps that Jewish men traditionally wear during weekday prayers) and without a tallit (prayer shawl), which are instead worn in the afternoon. At synagogue, the Book of Lamentations, known in Hebrew as Eicha (ay-KHA), is chanted. Kinot (ki-NOTE), which are special poems of mourning, are also recited.
Torah study, which is normally a joyful act in Judaism, is restricted on Tisha B’Av to texts related to mourning. The Talmud and other rabbinic literature spell out these laws in a tractate called Taanit (tah-ah-NEET), which focuses on fast days.
Can you shower on Tisha B’Av? Traditional observance says no: bathing for pleasure is prohibited. A quick rinse for hygiene purposes (like washing your hands or face) is generally permitted, but a full shower is not part of the traditional practice.
Can you drive on Tisha B’Av? Yes. Unlike Shabbat, Tisha B’Av has no prohibition on driving or using electricity. It’s a fast day and a day of mourning, but it’s not a day of rest in the Shabbat sense. You can go about your day, you’ll just be doing it without food, water, or leather shoes.
The Meaning Behind the Mourning
Here’s the thing about Tisha B’Av that might surprise you: it ends with hope.
The fast breaks at nightfall, and Jewish tradition holds that the Messiah will be born on Tisha B’Av. The day that holds so much grief is also, in Jewish thought, the seedbed of redemption. That tension between loss and hope is very Jewish, honestly.
Even if you’re not observing Tisha B’Av this year (or any year), knowing it exists and what it means is part of understanding the full picture of Jewish life. Judaism isn’t just holidays with food and candles (though those are pretty great). It’s also a tradition that asks its people to sit with grief, hold history, and keep going.
That’s a pretty remarkable thing, when you think about it.
Want to go deeper into Jewish holidays and traditions? Check out our Holidays hub!
FAQs
What does it mean to live l’chaim on Tisha B’Av?
L’chaim (luh-KHY-im) means “to life” in Hebrew. It’s the classic Jewish toast, the thing you say when you raise a glass. So what does living l’chaim mean on the saddest day of the Jewish calendar?
It means that even in mourning, Judaism is oriented toward life. Tisha B’Av isn’t about wallowing. It’s about acknowledging loss fully so that you can move forward with intention. Jewish tradition holds that after the destruction of the Temple, life continued, communities rebuilt, and Jewish people found new ways to practice and survive. Sitting with grief and choosing life anyway, that’s the l’chaim of Tisha B’Av.
Is there Havdalah on Tisha B’Av?
Havdalah (hav-DAH-lah) is the ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat, separating the holy day from the rest of the week. When Tisha B’Av falls immediately after Shabbat (which happens when the ninth of Av lands on a Saturday night), there is a modified Havdalah. It’s recited over a cup of wine or grape juice, but the person leading it doesn’t drink from it. The cup is set aside and the wine is drunk later, when the fast ends. The spices and candle blessings that are part of regular Havdalah are skipped entirely.
What happens when Tisha B’Av falls on a Sunday?
When the ninth of Av falls on a Saturday, the fast is pushed to Sunday, because fasting on Shabbat (other than Yom Kippur) is not permitted in Jewish tradition. When this happens, Havdalah is delayed, the mourning restrictions that would normally apply on Shabbat eve are observed differently, and some of the Nine Days practices shift slightly. Your local synagogue or rabbi will have specifics for your community’s observance in years when this comes up.
