Can i braid a friendahip bracelet on tisha ba av

Making a friendship bracelet on Tisha B'Av is generally prohibited, both because it constitutes melachah (creative work/labor) and because it conflicts with the spirit of mourning that defines the day. While the prohibition of melachah on Tisha B'Av is technically custom-based rather than Biblical, the overwhelming consensus of halachic authorities is that one should refrain from crafts and creative activities on this day.

Key Takeaways

Braiding/crafting is prohibited on Tisha B'Av as a form of melachah (labor/creative work).
The prohibition of melachah on Tisha B'Av is custom-based (minhag), but is widely accepted and observed.
Even activities not technically melachah may be prohibited because Tisha B'Av is a day of mourning, and one must avoid pleasurable or distracting activities.
The standard is to behave like a mourner (avel) sitting shiva — crafts and recreational activities are inconsistent with this status.
When in doubt about a specific activity, consult your local rabbi or posek.

The Prohibition of Melachah on Tisha B'Av

The Nature of the Prohibition

Unlike Yom Kippur, where the prohibition of melachah is Biblical and applies both day and night, the prohibition of melachah on Tisha B'Av is based on custom (minhag).

As noted by the Rambam (Maimonides): "אֲסוּרִין בַּעֲשִׂיַּת מְלָאכָה בַּיּוֹם וּמֻתָּרִין בַּלַּיְלָה" — "They are forbidden in performing labor during the day and permitted at night" [Steinsaltz on Mishneh Torah, Fasts 3:4] — explicitly distinguishing Tisha B'Av from Yom Kippur, where labor is forbidden even at night.

Despite being custom-based, this prohibition is universally accepted among Ashkenazim and Sephardim alike, and is treated as binding.

Why Crafts Like Braiding Are Included

A friendship bracelet involves:

Intentional creative construction — weaving or braiding strands into a new object
Pleasure and recreation — engaging the mind and hands in an enjoyable activity

Both of these are problematic on Tisha B'Av for separate reasons.

The Mourning Dimension

Beyond melachah, Tisha B'Av carries the full weight of communal mourning (avelut), modeled on the laws of a mourner during shiva (the seven-day mourning period).

Peninei Halakhah explains: "כשם שאסור לאבל ללמוד תורה בימי השבעה, כך אסור ללמוד תורה בתשעה באב, כדי שלא להסיח את הדעת מהאבלות" — "Just as a mourner is forbidden to study Torah during the seven days [of mourning], so too is it forbidden to study Torah on Tisha B'Av, so as not to divert one's mind from the mourning." [Peninei Halakhah, Zemanim 10:10]

The principle here is critical: anything that distracts from mourning or brings pleasure is forbidden, even Torah study! Certainly, a recreational craft like making a friendship bracelet — which is enjoyable, social, and distracting — falls squarely into this category.

What Should One Do Instead?

The tradition is to spend Tisha B'Av in:

Reading Megillat Eichah (Lamentations) and Kinot (elegies)
Contemplating the destruction of the Temple and the causes of exile
Sitting low (on the floor or a low chair) in the posture of a mourner
Studying permitted sad topics — such as the laws of mourning, the Book of Job, or accounts of the destruction — though even these should not be studied with great analytical enthusiasm, as deep engaged learning brings joy [Peninei Halakhah, Zemanim 10:10]

Practical Bottom Line

❌ Braiding a friendship bracelet — prohibited on Tisha B'Av, both as melachah and as a pleasurable, distracting activity incompatible with mourning.

✅ After Tisha B'Av ends (nightfall) — permitted.

For personal guidance, consult your local rabbi or posek.