The Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av starts this year on July 29th and ends on July 30th. The name of the holiday is simply the name of the day on the Hebrew calendar, the Ninth day of the month of Av.
The fast is meant to commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, both of which occurred on the same date of the Hebrew calendar, Tisha B'Av. Other calamaties in Jewish histories are said to have happed on the same day, including those in post-biblical times. Examples are the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 and the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka durin the Holocaust.
In addition to fasting, those observing the holiday refrain from washing/bathing, applying creams and oils, wearing leather shoes and having sexual relations. Traditionally, the Book of Lamentations and other "sad texts" are read, since most other Torah study is considered to be enjoyable.
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