- English translation
Once the feast has passed, it is too late to shape the holiday cakes.
- Literal wording
After the feast, ka‘k is no longer twisted.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying criticizes starting an undertaking only when the moment that made it useful has gone by. It emphasizes that timing is part of the task itself, so a delayed effort can fail even if the work is eventually done.
It may be applied when someone prepares, acts, or responds after the relevant occasion has ended. The pastry image makes the point concrete: making something meant for the celebration is pointless when the celebration is already over.
- When it is used
Use it to remark on a belated attempt whose value depended on acting before a particular event, deadline, or opportunity had passed. It is a figurative rebuke of lateness, especially where preparation begins only after the need for it has ended.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Once the feast has passed, it is too late to shape the holiday cakes.