“Zuva raSt. Nicholas” Rakabvepi?

FAMBA mumigwagwa yeBelgium mukuvamba kwaDecember, uye uchaona chiono chinoorora: mapoka maduku avana anoenda paimba neimba, achiimba nziyo pfupi dzinonzi “nziyo dzaSt. Nicholas.” Vanasaimba vanopindura vaduku vanokwezva kupfurikidza nokuvatusa nemichero, zviwiti, kana kuti mari.

Nhambo yacho? “Zuva raSt. Nicholas”! MuUnited States nedzimwe nyika, “St. Nicholas,” kana kuti “Santa Claus,” akabatanidzwa nezuva reKrisimisa. Asi muBelgium, “musande” ane ndebvu ane zuva rake amene. Zvamazvirokwazvo, “St. Nicholas” (Sinterklaas, kana kuti Sint Nicolaas), ane zuva romutambo rinowira parechitanhatu raDecember, ndimumwe wa“vasande” vakatanhamara zvikurusa muBelgium neNetherlands. Chechi dzakawanda, machapel, migwagwa, kana kuti nzvimbo dzedzimba zvakatumidzwa zita rake. Iye anozivikanwa mumagamuchidzanwa se“shamwari huru yavana” iyo inogovera nokudisa zvipo kwavari pazuva ramabiko ake.

Madekwana apamberi pezororo iroro, vana vaduku vanoisa imwe yeshangu dzavo kana kuti masiripa pedyo nechimbini pavanenge vachiimba nziyo dzavo duku. Ivo vaudzwa kuti Nicholas “Musande” nomubatiri wake mutema (anonzi Black Peter) vachisvika usiku ihwohwo nengarava inofambiswa noutsi achibva Spain. Pashure pezvo, “musande” achatasva bhiza rake regireyi achidarika pamusoro pamatenga, achiteverwa naBlack Peter, uyo atakura tsvimbo nehomwe huru ine zvokutambisa nezviwiti. Nicholas anounzawo maapuro, nzungu, uye zvimwe zvirimwa zvomumunda. Kazhinji kazhinji iye anosiya rudzi rwakati rwebhisikiti rebhurauni, rine zvinonhuwira zvinonzi speculaas, kana kuti mabhisikiti abhishopi, ayo anobhekwa muzvimiro chaizvo, zvakagadzirwa nouchenjeri.

Vagamuchiri vacho? Vana vave vakanaka mukati megore rapfuura. Vasingateereri, kunyanguvezvo, sezvinofungidzirwa vacharohwa netsvimbo; kana kuti zvakaipa zvikuru, ivo vangaiswa muhomwe yaBlack Peter ndokutakurwa! Nenzira inonzwisisika, ipapoka, vana vanodisa kunyaradza ava vashanyi vousiku. Nokudaro, girazi rejini rinomirira “musande,” uye karotsi kana kuti zvigodo zvishomanene zveshuga zvinoiswa zvakagadzirirwa bhiza rake.

Vabereki vazhinji muBelgium vanorangarira “Zuva raSt. Nicholas” kuva nguva inofadza zvikurusa yegore. Ivo vanofarira kuona zviso zvinokarira zvavaduku vavo avo vanodisa kuwana izvo “musande akanaka” avaunzira! Naizvozvo ivo vanopfuudza ngano kuvana vavo, vachiziva zvishomanene kwakabva idzi tsika. Kudai vaiziva, zvichida vaizokatyamadzwa.

Nicholas “Musande” naOdin

Oosthoeks Encyclopedia inotsanangura, kuti: “Kuchengetwa kwe[St. Nicholas] mumhuri kwakabvawo mumutambo wechechi (kubatanidza zvinoshamisa vana) uko kwakabva mumasangano apamberi pechiKristu. Nicholas Musande, uyo anotasva pamatenga, ndimwari wechihedheni Wodan [Odin]. . . . Nicholas Musande akanga ariwo mutungamiriri wokutandanisa kwoupengo umo mweya yavakafa inoshanyira pasi.”

Hungu, vaTeuton vaidavira kuti Odin, kana kuti Wodan, mwari wavo mukuru, aitungamirira mweya yavakafa pakutasva kwokutsamwa kwokugura nyika mukati ma“mazuva gumi namaviri akashata” pakati peKrisimisa naEpiphany (January 6). Mhepo yakasimba yakavapo somuuyo yakatakura mbeu dzezvirimwa zvomumunda, kuchinyandura ruzvaro. Maapuro, nzungu, uye zvimwe zvirimwa zvomumunakamwe zvinopiwa panenge pa“Zuva raSt. Nicholas”? Izvozvi zvakanga zviri zviratidzo zvoruzvaro. Vanhu vakare vaidavira kuti vaigona kunyaradza vamwari vavo kupfurikidza nokuvapa zvipo mukati mamazuva anotonhora, ane rima enguva yechando. Ikoku kwaizoguma noruzvaro rwakawedzerwa nokuda kwomunhu, mhuka, uye ivhu.

Odin aiperekedzwa nomubatiri wake Eckhard, mutangiri waBlack Peter, uyo aitakurawo tsvimbo. Misi ichangobva kupfuura iyi seMiddle Ages, chakanga chiri chitendero chakakurumbira kuti miti yakati nezvirimwa zvaigona kuita kuti vanhu vave vanozvara uye kuti kungorova bedzi mukadzi nebazu romuti wakadaro kwaikwana kumuita kuti ave napamuviri.

Bhuku rinonzi Feest-en Vierdagen in kerk en volksgebruik (Mazororo Nechengeto Muchechi Nomutsika Dzakakurumbira) rinodudza dzimwe fanano shomanene pakati paOdin naNicholas “Musande,” richiti: “Wodanwo, aizadza jombo neshangu dzemiti zvaiiswa pedyo nechimbini asi nendarama. Nokuda kwebhiza raWodan, uswa norutsengwe zvaiiswawo mushangu dzemiti. Chisote chokupedzisira chomunda chaivawo chebhiza.”

Bhuku rinonzi Sint Nicolaas, rakanyorwa naB. S. P. van den Aardweg, rinonongedzera kudzimwe fanano shomanene dzinoshamisa:

“St. Nicholas: munhu murefu, ane simba akatasva bhiza jena. Iye ane ndebvu refu chena, tsvimbo muruoko rwake, uye ngowani pamusoro pake . . . nenguvo huru, yakafara yabhishopi.

“Wodan: mumwe munhu murefu ane ndebvu chena. Iye anopfeka ngowani ine vharanda rakafara yakadzikiswa zvikuru kumeso ake. Muruoko rwake iye akabata pfumo ramashiripiti. Iye akapfeka nguvo yakafara uye anotasva bhiza rake rakavimbika regireyi Sleipnir.

“Kune dzakawanda dzeidzi fanano dziri pachena: Wodan akatasva bhiza rake regireyi mumhepo uye vanhu vanobvunda vakamupa makeke nezvinhu mukuwedzera kunyama nezvirimwa zvomuminda. St. Nicholas anotasva pamusoro pamatenga uye vana vanogadzirira uswa, karotsi, uye mvura nokuda kwebhiza. Mabhanzi ane jinja netsvimbo zvakanga zviri zviratidzo zvoruzvaro kare kare pamberi pamavambo emitambo yaSt. Nicholas.”

Miitiro Yoruzvaro Yomuzuva Razvino Uno

Chiverengero chakati chedzimwe tsika pamusoro paNicholas “Musande” nenzira yakafanana chinoratidzira mavambo adzo echihedheni. Somuenzaniso, munharaunda dzokuchamhembe pana December 4, vakomana vaduku vanovambira pamakore 12 kusvikira ku 18 ezera vanooneka mumigwagwa. Vakapfeka makositumu echienzi akashongedzwa minhenga, mateko, uye zvimwe zvirimwa zvomunharaundamo, vakomana vakafukidzwa vanomirira “vanaNicholas Vasande vaduku,” kana kuti Sunne Klaezjen. Mukati mamadekwana ezuva rinotevera, varume vane makore 18 navakura zvikuru vanotora jana ravo. Mukuvamba kwamadekwana, ivo vanofamba-famba mumigwagwa. Vachishandisa mitsvairo, nyanga dzenyati, uye tsvimbo, ivo vanodzinga vakadzi vose, vasikana, uye vakomana vaduku avo vanosangana navo. Vasikana vaduku vanoitwa kuti vatambe kana kuti kusvetuka muti.

Donzo raikoku kwose? Zvakare rwakanga rwuri ruzvaro—itiro hanya inoitika yaitikazve nguva dzose yeshambidziko dzakare. Nguva yechando yakanga iri nhambo ine rima neine funganyo, uye yaiwanzorangarirwa senguva mukati mayo mwari woruzvaro akanga avete kana kuti akafa. Kwaifungwa kuti kupfurikidza nemitoo yakasiana-siana mwari wacho aigona kupiwa upenyu hutsva kana kuti mwari wacho kana kuti mwarikadzi aigona todaro kupiwa rubatsiro. Zvipo, mitambo, mheremhere, kurova netsvimbo yoruzvaro—zvose izvozvi zvairangarirwa senzira dzokudzinga nadzo midzimu yakaipa ndokuwedzera ruzvaro muvanhu, mhuka, uye ivhu.

Naizvozvo apo vasikana vaduku vanosvetuka tsvimbo, ivo vanotevedzera vakare vavo vaidavira kuti urefu hwavaisvetuka hwaizova urefu kwaizosvika muti worwodzi. Kupfurikidza nokubudisa vakadzi navana, varume vaduku vanoita muitiro wokudzinga midzimu yakaipa.

Chisarudzo Nokuda Kwavanamati Vechokwadi

Neiko miitiro yakadaro yazova rutivi rwechinonzi chiKristu? Nemhaka yokuti mazana amakore apfuura, vafundisi vechechi havana kutaura kuti vatendeuki vavo vatevere murairo wapaMagwaro, unoti: “Budai pakati pavo, uye zviparadzanisei mumene . . . uye regai kubata chinhu chisina kuchena.” (2 VaKorinte 6:17, NW) Panzvimbo pokubvisa miitiro yechihedheni, vafundisi vechiKristudhomu vakapfuuridzira zvomenemene idzi tsika kupfurikidza nokudzinatsiridza nokudzishandisa. Tsika dzakadaro panguva iyeyo dzakapararira munyika yose.

Vagari vakabva Netherlands avo vakagara muNorth America vakaenda nechengeto yaNicholas “Musande.” Pashure penguva yakati zita racho rakashatiswa kuva “Santa Claus.” Bhishopi ane chiremera akashandurwa kuva munhu ane matama matsvuku, mukobvu akapfeka svutu tsvuku. Ngowani yake yabhishopi yakachinjaniswa nengowani yeelf uye bhiza jena nokuda kwechireyi chinodhonzwa nereindeer. Santa Claus, zvisinei, akapfuurira kuva muunzi wezvipo, kunyange zvazvo shanyo yake yakachinjirwa kumadekwana apamberi peKrimisa.

Munharaunda dzePurotesitendi dzeGermany, Nicholas “Musande” weKaturike akatsiviwa na“Baba Krisimisa” asina kwaakarerekera zvikuru. Masangano echihedheni, zvisinei, anoramba achizivikanwa zvakajeka kusvikira kuzuva rino.

Jesu Kristu akataura kuti “vanamati vechokwadi vachanamata Baba nomudzimu nezvokwadi.” (Johane 4:23, NW) Nokuda kwavanamati vapachokwadi, tsika dzaNicholas “Musande” dzinopa denho chaiyoiyo: Ko ava vanamati vachapfuurira kupfuuridzira miitiro yakare yaOdin, kana kuti vachabuda muzvisaririra zvechihedheni here? Iyi inguva yakanaka yegore yokufunga pamusoro pomubvunzo iwoyo unokosha.

[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 26]

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