Tu B’av, a lesser known Jewish holiday, is all about love. And here at 18Doors, we love talking about and celebrating all kinds of love!

The holiday takes place on the 15th of Av (“Tu” refers to 15) and has basically become the “Jewish Valentine’s Day” in Israel and some English-speaking countries. Before its modern interpretation, though, Tu B’av can be traced back to the grape harvest as a day of matchmaking. At some point, hundreds of years later, it was reinterpreted as a celebration of love.

This year, Tu B’av 2022 begins the evening of Tuesday, August 1, and ends the next evening on Wednesday, August 2.

What are some ways to celebrate?

There’s no right or wrong way to participate in Tu B’av, especially if you’re tailoring the holiday to your own love stories. At 18Doors, we’re here to celebrate your unique interfaith love stories. Think about all the important people in your life, and reflect on how you can make them feel appreciated during this day. And don’t forget, one of those important people is you!

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

• Get a mason jar, cut up pieces of paper and write down all the things you love about your partner (or as many as you can fit!).
• Re-create your first date with your partner, or one of your memorable first meetings.
• Bake one of our tasty, multicultural desserts with your friends and/or family. We’ve also got kid-friendly recipes that include steps for your little ones to follow along.
• Create a treasure hunt in your house for your partner, and have the clues be related to the history of your relationship.
• Treat yourself to a “spa day” at home, whatever that looks like to you. Take a bubble bath, give yourself a facial and watch a lot of Netflix.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, Kristin shares seven more ways to celebrate in this post.

Tu B’av Dates

Here are the dates of Tu B’av 2023-2025 (Remember, the holiday is sundown to sundown):

• August 1–2, 2023
• August 18–19, 2024
• August 8–9, 2025