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On Tisha baAv you can't

  1. eat

  2. wash oneself

  3. anoint oneself

  4. marital relation

  5. wearing leather shoes

  6. sit on a chair

  7. Torah study

  8. greeting people with a blessing

  9. conducting business

  10. going on a pleasure trip. etc.

So my question is, what are you supposed (or what do people) do for 25 Hours. Besides maybe 3-5 hours of davening and 8-9 hours of sleep coming out to about 13 hours of...

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There are a variety of things that people do on Tisha B'Av. Many people spend most of the morning reading and discussing the Kinnos. It is also permitted and widespread to learn certain bits of Torah that are relevant to Tisha B'Av. These include Eicha, Iyov, the story of the destruction of the Temple which is related in Gittin 56b-58a and Sanhedrin 104, the third perek of Moed Katan which discusses mourning, as well as the halachot of Tisha B'Av, fasting, and mourning.

According to Chabad.org, "Many communities have the custom to clean the house and wash the floors after midday, in anticipation of the Redemption which we await."

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Many communities offer various shiurim and / or films during the afternoon. I don't know if this is available where you live, but in mine, shuls "compete" with each other.

During approx. the last decade, The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation has presented 2 excelent videos on Tish'a B'av. Many shuls present one or both of them, and they are always excellent. I don't know, offhand, if they do a webcast, so check the web site or contact them.

Even if you don't find on of their lectures, Tish'a B'av is a great time to start learning Chafetz Chaim's book on Shmirat Halashon - laws of Lashon Hara. The Heritage Foundation as well as many Judaica Bookstaores sell his books in English translation, where you learn one law per day. If you've never learned it, I encourage a start. It will dramatically improve your behavior and outlook on life.

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    Are you really allowed to learn the laws of Lashon Hara on Tish'a B'av?
    – Ypnypn
    Commented Aug 4, 2014 at 16:59
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    @Ypnypn - I can't asnwer that directly, as I'm not sure. Suffice to say that the videos relate more to Tish'a B'Av, the churban and how Lashon Hara and Sin'at Chinam (baseless hatred) led to the churban. They don't dleve much into the halachot, per se. In short, the videos are Tish'a B'Av related, which should make this permissible.
    – DanF
    Commented Aug 4, 2014 at 17:04
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    Besides for the fact that I'm pretty sure that learning Chofetz Chaim is prohibited, I sure hope that your shuls aren't really competing on such a day...
    – הנער הזה
    Commented Aug 13, 2014 at 0:51

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