Amasiko—KaKhisimusi Iyini Imisuka Yawo?

KUKHO kokubili iNyakatho Nkabazwe neNingizimu Nkabazwe, imikhosi kaKhisimusi iphakathi kwezinto ezithandwa kakhulu, phakathi kwabakholwayo nabangakholwayo ngokufanayo. EJapane, njengoba iningi labantu lingamaShinto angewona amaKristu, uKhisimusi ubhekwa njengeminye imikhosi futhi uye waba isikhathi sokuthengiselana okukhulu. Kodwa ingabe isimo semikhosi kaKhisimusi besilokhu sifana kakhulu neminye imikhosi engeyona engokwenkolo? Waqala kanjani lomkhosi ogujwa minyaka yonke?

Ukuhlola indlela uKhisimusi owawugujwa ngayo enkulungwaneni yokuqala yeminyaka yeSikhathi Esivamile kuyasiza ekutholeni umkhondo wesiqalo sawo emuva emithonjeni yangaphambi kobuKristu. Ebhala kumagazini iHistory Today, uAlexander Murray waseYunivesithi yaseOxford uyavuma ukuthi umuntu wangenkathi ephakathi “wahlanganisa izinto ezazikhona zobuqaba zemikhuba eyenziwa maphakathi nesikhathi sasebusika kanye nemfundiso yenkolo kaKhisimusi eyayisathuthuka.” Kukanjani futhi kungani kwenziwa lokhu?

Imisuka Yangaphambi KobuKristu

Abantu bempucuko yasendulo yaseYurophu baphawula indlela ilanga elalibonakala lima ngayo linganyakazi maphakathi nesikhathi sasebusika eduze nomkhathizwe ongaseningizimu ngaphambi kokuba liphakame kancane kancane esibhakabhakeni. Lesolstice (okuyigama elisuselwa emagameni esiLatini elisho “ilanga” nelisho “ukuma unganyakazi”) yasebusika, ngokwekhalenda kaJulius, ekuqaleni yayenzeka ngoDecember 25. Bona labantu bakuthola kulula ukuthola ukufana phakathi kwelanga noNkulunkulu njengoMthombo noMsekeli wokuphila. Ngo-274 C.E., umbusi wamaRoma wamemezela iSol invictus (ilanga elingenakunqotshwa) ukuthi ingumvikeli oyinhloko wombuso, futhi lokhu kwakungoDecember 25, ngaleyondlela edumisa uMithras, unkulunkulu wokukhanya.

Ngokuphathelene nokuvela kweLobukholwa njengenkolo entsha yoMbuso, uMurray uyabhala: “Ngemva kokungaqiniseki okukhulu, ukunqoba kwakuyozuzwa yimbangi enkulu [yobuMithras], ubuKristu. Kodwa cishe ngonyaka wama-300 lembangi kwakusamelwe ibe namasu. Kwakungalesosikhathi lapho isonto linquma ukuba lakhe idili lokuzalwa kukaKristu (ngesiLatini: nativitas.) (Alikho idili elinjalo elifakwe ezinhlwini zamadili aqala ngekhulu lesithathu leminyaka, futhi lelidili elisha ligcinwe ngokokuqala embhalweni wama-336.)” Yiluphi usuku olwakhethelwa lomkhosi? UDecember 25, ngokwencwadi iDiscovering Christmas Customs and Folklore wayewumphumela “wesinqumo sokuhlakanipha nesisebenzayo ngasengxenyeni yabaholi besonto bokuqala.” Kungani kunjalo?

Inkathi yaphakathi nobusika kakade yayisimiswe njengenkathi yokujabula yamadili omkhosi wezolimo wamaRoma womlilo nokukhanya wezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, iSaturnalia. Khona-ke kwakukhona iCalends, umkhosi wezinsuku ezintathu wokugubha ukumiswa kwezikhulu eziqondisayo zamaRoma ezazikhonza unyaka owodwa kusukela ngosuku lokuqala lukaJanuary, noma icalends. Ngakho, njengoba iSaturnalia, iCalends, kanye nosuku lokuzalwa lukaMithras lwelanga elingenakunqotshwa lwalufika phakathi nenkathi emfushane yonyaka ngamunye, uDecember 25 waba usuku olumisiwe lokugujwa “kweMisa likaKristu” kuncengwa abantu abangamaqaba ukuba baphendukele enkolweni entsha yoMbuso wamaRoma.

Njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka, umkhosi wenkathi yaphakathi nobusika wamaqaba waseJalimane, iYule, wasekela amasiko okwenza amadili nemikhosi, kanye nokupha izipho. Izimbaqa (noma amakhandlela), izingodo, nezinto zokuhlobisa ezingabuni, kanye nezihlahla, kwaba yizinto ezivelele emikhosini kaKhisimusi. (IBhokisi 1) Kodwa, abanye bangase bathi, ukugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa lukaKristu kumelwe ngempela ukuba kwakubaluleke kakhulu phakathi kwamaKristu ngaphambi kwanoma yikuphi ukuxubana namasiko obuqaba. Ingabe kunjalo?

Awuzange Ugujwe AmaKristu Okuqala

IBhayibheli aliluvezi usuku oluqondile lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amaKristu okuqala awazange akugubhe ukuzalwa kwaKhe,” kuphawula World Book Encyclopedia. Futhi kungani engakwenzanga? “Kungenxa yokuthi ayecabangela ukugubha ukuzalwa kothile njengesiko lobuqaba.” UAugustus Neander, kwethi The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries, uyavuma: “Umqondo womkhosi wosuku lokuzalwa wawukude kakhulu nemiqondo yamaKristu alenkathi.”

Kulokhu kuhlola, ungabona ukuthi ukugujwa kwemikhosi kaKhisimusi kwathola imisuka yakho emasikweni obuqaba. Njengoba iEconomist ichaza, kwaze kwaba nje kamuva lapho ‘izazi zezindaba ezingokwenkolo zimisa “lomkhosi wokukhanya [usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa], ngoba uKristu ungukukhanya kwezwe,” futhi (ngenxa yokuntuleka kobufakazi obabungeke buvunyelwe yiQiniso emikhankasweni yezoKukhangisa) bashaya sengathi ingane uJesu yazalwa ngoDecember. Kungalesosizathu abantu baseScotland besonto laseHabe kudala babewenyanya uKhisimusi, njengoba kwakwenza iMelika eyayingayekeleli kwaze kwaba yilapho izithakazelo ezingokwemali zikuvuselela futhi.’

Amasiko KaKhisimusi Ayavuselelwa

NgokukaGavin Weightman noSteve Humphries, abalobi bethi Christmas Past, ekuqaleni kokubusa kweNdlovukazi uVictoria (1837-1901), “azikho izingane zaseBrithani ezazigaxa amasokisi azo ngasemlilweni ngoSuku Olwandulela uKhisimusi; akekho owayezwe ngoSanta Claus; iziqhumane zangoKhisimusi zazingekho; bambalwa kakhulu abantu ababedla ikalikuni ngoSuku lukaKhisimusi; kwakungavamile ukuphana izipho; futhi isihlahla sikaKhisimusi esihlotshisiwe nesikhanyisiwe sasingaziwa neze ngaphandle kwasebukhosini. Eqinisweni, ekhalendeni uSuku lukaKhisimusi lwalungelona olubaluleke kakhulu nganoma yiliphi isiko lezenhlalo.” (IBhokisi 2) Khona-ke, yini eyenzeka ukuze kuvuselelwe ukuthandwa kwemikhosi kaKhisimusi?

“Lokhu kushintshwa kwemikhosi emidala ukuba ibe isenzakalo somkhaya esisodwa esifushane, esihloniphekayo kwaqala ngawo-1830 . . . futhi cishe kwaphela ngawo-1870, okuyisikhathi okwaqala ngaso ukwaziwa komuntu othiwa uSanta Claus eBrithani,” kusho iChristmas Past. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ukukhishwa kwekaCharles Dickens ethi A Christmas Carol, eyayilandisa ngendaba yomuntu owayeyiqonqela okuthiwa uScrooge owaguquka waba nomoya kaKhisimusi, yokhela umoya wokuba nesihe kwabampofu. Izimo ezinukubezekile nezinkinga ezingokomnotho zokuphila emadolobheni ezazibangelwe yiNguquko Yezemisebenzi zashukumisela abantu ababephila ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaVictoria ukuba bakhe inhlangano yokusiza leyo, kamuva ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaEdward, yalinganiselwa kuphela ekusizeni abantu abampofu “abahloniphekayo.”

Umlobi weCatholic Herald yaseBrithani uyaphawula: “Kancane kancane, njengoba ukuceba kwabantu abaningi kwakwanda, eziningi zezici ezazinganakwa zesiko likaKhisimusi lesigaba esiphakathi ziye zasakazeka emhlabeni wonke. Ubulula nokuphana kuye kwathathelwa indawo ukuncintisana nokwehlula abanye. Idili elincane elake laba ukuzijabulisa okuqotho lase lithathelwe indawo ukuzitika ngokudla okuningi okuyizibiliboco. Imikhaya iphoqelelwa yilelisiko elisha ukuba ichithe izinsuku indawonye kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyathanda noma cha, idlale imidlalo abanye babo abangayithandi, ibukele ithelevishini abanye bayo abangayithandi, ukunqamula ubudlelwano nomakhelwane kanye nabantu bangaphandle ngaso kanye isikhathi lapho umusa nobungane kumelwe kuboniswe khona kakhulu.

“Futhi lapho umuntu ekusho lokhu, noma ezama ukugxeka ukuthengiselana noma imibuthano nje yomphakathi, umuntu kuthiwa uwuScrooge. Engqondweni yami uKhisimusi uye waba yinto embi kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva.”

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyavumelana nalombono noma cha, yini engenzeka endaweni yakini ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi?

UKhisimusi—Isikhathi Esiyingozi

Ingabe uthola ukuthi abanye abantu basebenzisa lesikhathi ukuze bazitike ngokudla nangokuphuza? Ingabe ukudakwa, nobudlwangudlwangu kuphazamisa ukuthula komphakathi wakini? Nakuba abantu abaningi abaqotho bebonisa umusa nokucabangela okuvelele ngoKhisimusi, imizamo yabo ayikuvimbeli ukonakaliswa kobuhlobo bomkhaya okwande kakhulu ngalesikhathi.

Khona-ke, ungase ubuze ngokufanelekile, ‘Kungani uKhisimusi uveza ukuziphatha okubi okukhulu kangaka?’ Ngokuyisisekelo, kungenxa yokuthi awuwona owobuKristu, ungowobuqaba. Ingabe ungacabanga ngoKristu ejatshuliswa yilokho? Lutho neze. Ngempela, uma silimisa ngesihloko, iBhayibheli lithi: “Kunakuhlanganyela kuni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Kunabudlelwano buni ukukhanya nobumnyama na? Unakuzwana kuni uKristu noBeliyali [uSathane] na?”—2 Korinte 6:14, 15.

Umbono Ohlukile

Phakathi nalenkathi kaKhisimusi, ungase uvakashelwe omunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Uyophawula ukuthi abahlanganyeli ekugujweni kwemikhosi kaKhisimusi. Mhlawumbe ungase ukhathazeke ngezingane zabo, ukholelwa ukuthi, ikakhulukazi zona, ziyaphuthelwa ngalemikhosi. Kodwa engxoxweni eyenziwa eSouthampton (eNgilandi) kuyiSouthern Evening Echo, ubaba onguFakazi wezingane ezimbili wanikeza lesiqinisekiso” ‘Ngiyakwethembisa, ngobuqotho abanawo umuzwa wokuthi bayaphuthelwa,’ kusho uJohn. ‘OFakazi BakaJehova bakhuthele kakhulu ekuthuthukiseni ukuphila komkhaya okujabulisayo. Njengoba nje sibapha abantwana bethu izipho eziningi kuwo wonke unyaka, sibanikeza okuthile okubaluleke kakhulu [okungukuthi,] isikhathi sethu nothando.’”

Ngokuqinisekile, uthando olunjalo oluqotho nesithakazelo kunikela okuningi ekuphileni komkhaya okujabulisayo. Ngakho esikhundleni sokulandela amasiko kaKhisimusi anemisuka yobuqaba, bekungenakuba ngcono yini uma wonke umuntu edumisa uJesu ngokubonakalisa umoya weqiniso onjengokaKristu ezihlotsheni, kubangane, nakubantu ojwayelene nabo, yebo, ngisho nakubantu ongabazi, kuwo wonke unyaka?

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 14]

UBABA KAKHISIMUSI UALIAS SANTA CLAUS

UBaba Kakhisimusi uye wachazwa “njengendaba yokugqugquzela ephumelela kakhulu kusukela ngesikhathi sikaJesu Kristu.” Kodwa wayengubani? NgokweCustoms and Ceremonies of Britain, ubelokhu “aziwa njengomuntu ongachazeki wenkathi [kaKhisimusi] okungenani kusukela ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka . . . futhi ubonakala cishe embethe izingubo zakhe zesimanje okhunini oluqoshiwe luka-1653: Kodwa ukuvakasha ‘kukaSanta’ ngoSuku Olwandulela uKhisimusi, umkhuba wakhe wokwehla ngoshemula ukuze agcwalise amasokisi ngezipho (noma, ngokweqisa, izikhwama zemicamelo) kanye nesihlibhi sakhe esidonswa inyamazane enezimpondo ezimbaxambaxa konke kuthathwe eziko lezingxubevange zamasiko, iU.S.A. Ubuntu bakhe bakhiwa bususelwa ezinganekwaneni zaseYurophu eziphathelene noSt. Nicholas waseMyra wekhulu le-4 leminyaka (owavikela amakhosazana amathathu ebufebeni ngesipho asiletha ngokunyenya phakathi kwamabili semali yelobolo, futhi njengoSinte Klaas owagcwalisa izicathulo zezingane zaseMelika ezingamaHolland ngoDecember 6, okuwusuku lomkhosi wakhe); uKrisskringle waseMelika ongumJalimane (owaklomelisa izingane ezilungile futhi wajezisa ezimbi); kanye nezinganekwane zaseScandinavia noma eRashiya eziphathelene nabathakathi baseNyakatho namaphethelo . . . LoSanta waseMelika oyinkimbinkimbi ngokunyenya weqa iAtlantic phakathi nawo-1870: kusukela lapho idumela lakhe ngokusobala alizange lonakaliswe abalingisi abaningi bezentengiselwano, ngokuqhubekayo uye wenza ukuba izwe lonke ligxile ‘kuKhisimusi wezingane”

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 15]

IZIHLAHLA EZINGABUNI ZIKAKHISIMUSI

Phakathi kwezinto ezivelele zokuhlobisa zikaKhisimusi isihlahla okuthiwa iholly, uhlobo lwentandela okuthiwa i-ivy, nomhlalanyoni, ezichazwa”’ ngokuthi “izitshalo zomlingo ezithela izithelo ngenkathi yasebusika.” Kodwa kungani ngokukhethekile kusetshenziswa lezihlahla ezingabuni? Nakuba abanye bekholelwa ukuthi izithelo’ ezibomvu zeholly zimelela igazi likaKristu futhi amacembe ayo ahlabayo afanekisela “umqhele wameva” lowo amasosha kaPontiyu Pilatu awubeka ekhanda likaJesu ngokumgcona, amaqaba ayebheka amahlamvu acwebezelayo kanye nezithelo zeholly njengophawu lobulili besilisa lokuphila okuphakade. (Mathewu 27:29) Babebheka i-ivy njengophawu lokuphila kobulili besifazane lokungafi komphefumulo. Kokubili iholly neivy kwaba uphawu lwabo lwenzalo. Ukuhlobana komhlala-nyoni nobuqaba kusaqinile namanje kangangokuba incwadi iCustoms and ceremonies of Britain ithi: “Akekho umhlobisi wesonto oyokubekezelela—ngaphandle kwaseYork Minster.” Isihlahla esingabuni esaziwa kakhulu kunazo zonke isihlahla sikaKhisimusi, kudala esasiqokonyiswa emasikweni aseJalimane futhi senziwa sathandwa kakhulu eBrithani umyeni weNdlovukazi uVictoria, uPrince Albert, futhi esaba into esemqoka yemikhosi kaKhisimusi yomkhaya. Kusukela ngo-1947, inhlokodolobha yaseNorway, iOslo, iye yathumela isipho sesihlahla sikaKhisimusi ukuze sibukiswe eTrafalgar Square yaseLondon.

[[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Isihlahla sikaKhisimusi esingabuni saseNorway esasiyisipho eBrithani