Tu B'Av - Some Fun Facts

Tu B’Av, the Jewish Valentine’s Day that happens every year on the 15th of Av has some interesting historic facts and some very practical ones (read until the end) <3 <3

So here we go, are you ready?

Fun Fact #1: There is no way to really know exactly how early Tu B’Av began, but the first mention of Tu B’Av is in the Mishnah (compiled and edited at the end of the second century).

Fun Fact #2: During the second temple period, Tu B’Av served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women AND men - did you say singles mixer?

Fun Fact #3: Jewish women would go dancing in the vineyards, according to the Talmud, and unmarried men would go to the fields to pick out a wife. Did you say old times? Oy Vey!

Fun Fact #4: The Talmud ranks Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av as the two happiest holidays for the Jewish people. The Gemara (the later, interpretive layer of the Talmud) offers several explanations and one of them is that on Tu B’Av “tribes of Israel were permitted to mingle with each other”.

Fun Fact #5: “Tu” is short for Tet (ט) which represents a 9 and Vav (ו) which represents 6, adding up to the number 15, 15th of Av.

Fun Fact #6: The day is celebrated in Israel, much like Valentine’s Day. Flowers, chocolates and romance. ♥️

Fun Fact #7: Every year Tu B’Av falls in an evening with a Full Moon.

In Israel or not, go on.. Look up to the sky for some full moon lighting, light up a candle and put on your fav chick flick. ♥️

XOXO from Israel