THE NINE DAYS

'The Nine Days' are the first nine days of the Jewish month of Av. They are days of intense mourning in Judaism culminating in ''Tisha B'Av''. They commemorate the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem.
During The Nine Days, Jewish law (''Halakha'') forbids eating meat, and pleasure-bathing. These prohibitions are in addition to those adhered to during The Three Weeks, which take place concurrent to The Nine Days. These restrictions include listening to music, getting a haircut or shaving, consuming wine, performing weddings and wearing freshly laundered clothes.

★ ''"eating meat"''
:fish is permitted by rabbinic authorities.

★ ''"pleasure bathing"''
:under Ashkenazi tradition, warm baths are not taken; under Sephardic tradition, observances regarding garments and bathing, start the Sunday before Tisha B'Av and are not followed on years when the fast falls on Sunday.