On Monday July 26, we are celebrating Tu Be' Av, the 15 of the Jewish month of Av.

Tu Be' Av is the so - called "Day of Love" and could be compared to Valentines Day. To many Jews, Tu Be' Av is an unknown holiday. Mourning the destruction of both Temples on Tisha Be' Av a week earlier is much more common than celebrating the Jewish "Valentine's Day" on 15th Av.

Tu Be' Av is a minor holiday from the Temple times. Then, Jewish singles use to go out into the fields and look for someone to marry. The Talmud explains the whole procedure and compares Tu Be' Av with Yom Kippur. It says in the Talmud (Taanit 30b and Bava Basra 121a) that Israel had no days as festive as the Fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur.

What do the fast day Yom Kippur and the happy day of Tu Be' Av, have in common ?
First of all, both days are joyful days. On Yom Kippur, G - d forgives us our sins and we are thankful about it. Singles used both days to meet each other. Single meetings on Yom Kippur afternoon were quite common in those days. People would sit and talk, as there was not much to do anyway.

We also learn that the singles used to dress up in white clothes. Each of them wore the same having the advantage that no one could tell if someone was rich or poor. Everybody looked just equal and had the same chances.  The female and male Jewish singles went out into the fields finding their match.

So remember to do something nice for your partner today. Tu Be`Av is a good time for guys to propose to their girlfriends. If you are not in a serious relationship, then get serious (or find someone with whom you can be serious). And if you don’t have a partner altogether, then go out and get one