TBS News and Information

On the Hebrew calendar, tomorrow is the 15th day of the month of Av, a minor holiday known as “Tu B’Av.” (The letters for “Tu” add up to the number 15.) Its historical origins are unclear – it may have been related to the grape harvest and matchmaking, as young women and men would go into the vineyards in search of each other. Modern practice in Israel is to treat it as a celebration of love, somewhat like Valentine’s Day in the United States. It’s a popular day for weddings, romantic gestures, and expressions of love.

I’ll confess, over the years I haven’t done much to celebrate this minor festival. There’s no particular ritual or worship service to mark the day. At summer camp, some years we would make nice cards for our counselors or campers, or we’d do something kind for our Unit Head. It was a light, feel-good kind of holiday.

But this year, maybe a holiday that promotes love is particularly needed. At a time when cruelty seems to be in vogue, when civil discourse has turned bitter, when differences divide us, a focus on love and goodness, even if only for a day, can provide an antidote. There is too much hatred running rampant in the world today, too much denigration of others, too much distrust. We can counter that by putting more love out into the world.

So take some time tomorrow to celebrate love. Share a kind word with the people you love. Show someone you care. And maybe expand that beyond the people you know to include others. Do a random act of kindness for someone. Make a donation to an organization that does some good in the world. Volunteer your time to help others in some way. In honor of Tu B’Av, in a world badly in need of it, this year let's observe this holiday in a meaningful way and do something that celebrates love.