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Discover the history of Valentine's Day and its connection to Christianity. Learn why some Jews choose to celebrate the holiday while others prefer Tu B'Av, a Jewish Day of Love. Find out how this alternative celebration has become a Jewish equivalent to Valentine's Day, complete with flowers, romantic dinners, and proposals. Vatican II, the landmark set of reforms adopted by the Catholic Church in 1969, removed Valentine’s Day from the Catholic church’s calendar, asserting that “though the memorial of St. Valentine is ancient apart from his name nothing is known. Except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on 14 February.” Jewish Considerations. A The origins of Valentine’s Day are linked to a saint, though the connections are dubious and even the Catholic Church has removed Valentine's Day from its calendar. Some would say there is no reason why Jews cannot celebrate Valentine's Day, though others might argue that, as a holiday rooted in Christian tradition, it would be a bit peculiar. Outside of Israel, Jews often just see it as Jewish Valentine's Day, and thus all the normal Valentine's Day practices of dating and presents and more tend to occur on Tu B'Av. Tu B’Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel. In its modern incarnation it is gradually becoming a Jewish Day of Love, slightly resembling Valentine’s Day in English-speaking countries. Like Valentine’s Day, Tu B’Av is a celebration of love, and love is worthy of celebration. God’s love, as seen in the provision of redemption through Yeshua , was the greatest act of love. As we read in 1 John 4:10-11: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Before we discuss Tu b’Av, let us first examine why Orthodox Jews do not observe Valentine’s Day. After all, it’s a day dedicated to love – isn’t that a good thing? A Catholic Holiday? For starters, the full name of the holiday is “Saint Valentine’s Day.” You are probably familiar with St. Patrick’s Day. Yiddish World How Tu B’Av, the ancient Jewish holiday of love, was revived In 1932, a group of Orthodox girls celebrated the holiday by taking a nighttime hike into the woods. Yesterday I posted our latest guest post featuring a gorgeous Valentines Day themed tri-color cupcake. And while I am not surprised some of our readers took issue with Jews celebrating Valentines Day, nevertheless I wanted to address it. I did not grow up celebrating Purim, but I did grow up celebrating Valentine’s Day. If you’ve heard of Tu B’Av, which begins on the evening of August 11 this year, you’ve probably heard that it’s a kind of late-summer Jewish Valentine’s Day. In Israel, it’s become a popular date for weddings and parties, and it’s starting to catch on in the US, too. On Valentine’s Day 1349 thousands of Jews were burned to death, accused of poisoning wells. Most people associate February 14 with love and romance. Yet hundreds of years ago Valentine’s Day saw a horrific mass murder when 2,000 Jews were burned alive in the French city of Strasbourg. The saddest period in the Jewish yearly cycle takes place in the summer months. Beginning with the 17th of Tammuz, which marks the breaching of the Temple walls by the Romans in 70 CE, our tradition calls for increasing mourning, climaxing three weeks later on the 9th of Av (Tishah B’Av), when the Temple was destroyed. “Valentine’s Day is marked by several features, not the least of which is materialism and conspicuous consumption,” he wrote. “For a day ostensibly dedicated to love, there is a tremendous emphasis on candy, flowers, stuffed animals, greeting cards, and lingerie.” Valentine’s Day is “not for Jews,” he concluded. In Israel today, Tu B’Av is celebrated with flowers, cards, romantic dinners, and festivals of singing and dancing. Also, Av 15 is a good day for a wedding. Depending on your convictions and those of your sweetheart, celebrating Valentine’s Day is a good way to keep the spark of love shining for Jews and non-Jews alike. If you’ve heard of Tu B’Av, which begins on the evening of August 11 this year, you’ve probably heard that it’s a kind of late-summer Jewish Valentine’s Day. In Israel, it’s become a popular date for weddings and parties, and it’s starting to catch on in the US, too. (Photo: Getty Images) In Israel, many couples exchange gifts or flowers and celebrate with a romantic dinner or a night out, just like on Valentine’s Day in the rest of the world (yes, Valentine’s Day is observed around the globe). Yesterday I posted our latest guest post featuring a gorgeous Valentines Day themed tri-color cupcake. And while I am not surprised some of our readers took issue with Jews celebrating Valentines Day, nevertheless I wanted to address it. I did not grow up celebrating Purim, but I did grow up celebrating Valentine’s Day. (8) Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said, "Never were there more joyous festivals in Israel than the 15th of Av and the Day of Atonement, for on them the maidens of Jerusalem used to go out dressed in white garments—borrowed ones, in order not to cause shame to those who had them not of their own;—these clothes were also to be previously immersed, and thus they went out and danced in the The Strasbourg massacre occurred on 14 February 1349, when the entire Jewish community of several thousand Jews were publicly burnt to death as part of the Black Death persecutions. [1] Starting in the spring of 1348, pogroms against Jews had occurred in European cities, starting in Toulon. Yiddish World How Tu B’Av, the ancient Jewish holiday of love, was revived In 1932, a group of Orthodox girls celebrated the holiday by taking a nighttime hike into the woods.
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