Asara B'Tevet 2026: Date, Meaning, and How to Keep the Fast

Asara B'Tevet 2026, the Tenth of Tevet, falls on Sunday, December 20. It is a minor fast from dawn (alot hashachar) until nightfall (tzeit). It marks the day Nebuchadnezzar began the siege of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the First Temple. If you have never kept a Jewish fast before, this is one of the simpler ones to start with: it does not begin the night before, work is allowed, and several of the stricter Yom Kippur restrictions do not apply.

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When is Asara B'Tevet 2026?

The Hebrew date is 10 Tevet 5787. Unlike Shabbat and most festivals, the fast itself does not start at sundown the evening before. You eat dinner Saturday night as usual, wake up Sunday, and stop eating and drinking before dawn. The fast ends at nightfall Sunday.

Exact dawn and nightfall depend on where you live. A synagogue, Chabad house, or a reliable calendar app for your city will list alot hashachar and tzeit for December 20. When in doubt, ask a local rabbi rather than guessing from a different time zone.

Here are the nearby years, per Hebcal. Notice there is no Tenth of Tevet in calendar year 2027:

For every other date this season, see our Jewish holidays 2026-2027 calendar. Our Jewish holidays 2027 guide also notes that the next Tenth of Tevet after December 20, 2026, is January 9, 2028.

What does the Tenth of Tevet commemorate?

On the tenth of Tevet, Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon began the siege of Jerusalem (II Kings 25:1; see also Jeremiah 52:4 and Ezekiel 24:1-2). The siege ended with the destruction of Solomon's Temple and the Babylonian exile. Asara B'Tevet is one of the four rabbinic fasts tied to that loss, along with the 17th of Tammuz, Tisha B'Av, and the Fast of Gedaliah.

The name is simply the date. "Asara" (or "Asarah") means ten, and "B'Tevet" means "in Tevet." You will also see Tenth of Tevet, 10 Tevet, and Asarah B'Tevet. Same day.

Some communities also mark the eighth and ninth of Tevet with quieter customs. Traditions connect those days with Ezra's death and with the Greek translation of the Torah. They are not public fasts for most people, and this guide focuses on the tenth.

Dawn-to-nightfall, not a 25-hour fast

Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av run from sundown to the next nightfall, about 25 hours. Asara B'Tevet is a minor fast: food and drink are off from dawn until nightfall only. You sleep Saturday night as usual, and you break the fast as soon as it is night on Sunday.

On this minor fast, bathing, wearing leather shoes, and anointing (lotion, deodorant, and the like) are generally allowed. Those restrictions belong to the major fasts. Brushing teeth without swallowing water is a common practice for people who normally brush in the morning; if you are unsure about your own custom, ask a rabbi.

Who should not fast

Children under bar or bat mitzvah age do not fast. Pregnant and nursing people, and anyone who is ill, should not decide alone. Speak with a rabbi and, when health is involved, a doctor. This page is beginner orientation, not a medical or halachic ruling for your situation.

The Friday rule (informational for 2026)

Most rabbinic fasts that land on Friday are moved earlier so they do not run into Shabbat. Asara B'Tevet is different. If it falls on Friday, it is still observed that day, and the fast continues until after Shabbat begins. People then break the fast after Maariv and Kiddush Friday night. In 2026 the day is Sunday, so that rule does not change your plan. It is worth knowing for years like January 2025, when it did fall on Friday.

What happens in synagogue

If you go in the morning, expect Selichot (penitential poems) and Avinu Malkeinu. The Torah reading is Exodus 32:11-14 and 34:1-10, the same short reading used on other minor fasts. Aneinu, a short prayer asking God to answer us on a day of fasting, is added to the Amidah. At Mincha, many communities repeat Aneinu, read the same Torah portion again, and add a haftarah from Isaiah 55:6-56:8. Practices vary a little by community, so follow the room you are in.

You do not have to be in synagogue to keep the fast. The core of the day for most people is simply not eating or drinking from dawn to nightfall, with whatever prayer and learning fits your life.

A simple first-timer plan for Sunday, December 20

1. Saturday night: eat a normal meal. Hydrate. Set an alarm if you want a pre-dawn drink before the fast starts.
2. Sunday morning: skip breakfast. If a morning minyan works for your schedule, go. If not, say what you can at home and keep the fast.
3. During the day: work and regular life continue. Drink nothing, including water, unless a rabbi or doctor has told you otherwise for health reasons.
4. Late afternoon: Mincha is a good time to step into synagogue if you only go once.
5. Nightfall: break the fast. Bread, fruit, or whatever you usually eat is fine. There is no required festive meal.

Keep a small habit after the fast

Asara B'Tevet sits between Chanukah and Tu BiShvat. If the day leaves you wanting a steady next step, a short daily prayer or a few verses of Torah is enough. Our guides to the Amidah and starting daily Torah learning stay useful long after December 20.

Bayit gives you the whole Tanakh in Hebrew and English, this week's parsha one aliyah a day, and a place to ask what a verse means, with the sources quoted. Want a short Daily Plan to start? Try Bayit on the App Store.