proverb · Words worth keeping
It will not do to keep holidays before they come.
It will not do to keep holidays before they come.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A celebration planned for later should not displace the work or preparation needed now. Anticipation is different from treating an expected occasion as already secured.
What the words are saying
The holidays have a place in the calendar, but the person begins observing them before their arrival. The image questions acting as though a future break or success has already released us from present obligations. It can encourage finishing necessary preparation so that the occasion is easier to enjoy when it comes. This does not make anticipation itself a fault. Planning, looking forward and resting appropriately all have value. The practical distinction is whether premature celebration prevents the work on which the expected benefit depends.
Everyday example
An organiser completes the venue booking before celebrating an event whose date has been proposed but not confirmed.
When to use it
Use it to keep anticipation from replacing necessary preparation.
What it does not mean
Rest is not something people must earn through perfect productivity. The saying should not be used to deny needed breaks.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 23; French section, paragraph 459; source wording: Il ne faut pas chômer les fêtes avant qu’elles ne soient venues.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.