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mourning

Tisha B’Av

To put it simply, Tisha B’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish year. It occurs on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which is usually in July or August. Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of the theFirst and Second TemplesinJerusalemin 586 B.C.E. and 70 C.E., and is observed as a day of communal mourning.

To observe Tisha B’Av, Jews traditionally fast and avoid fun activities (from listening to music to washing to wearing leather shoes). There are many sad psalms and poems that are read, including the biblicalBook of Lamentations.

Since it is a day of such sadness, athree week period of low-level mourningleads up to the holiday of Tisha B’Av. During this period it is traditional to refrain from public celebrations, such as weddings. The nine days just before Tisha B’Av are an even more intense period of mourning, where traditional Jews refrain from eating meat.

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