Amaqiniso Ngesizinda SikaKhisimusi, Ama-Ista, Ne-Halloween
IBHAYIBHELI libonisa ukuthi uJesu wayeneminyaka engu-33 1/2 lapho ebethelwa ekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo yonyaka ka-33 C.E., ngesikhathi sePhasika lamaJuda. Lokhu kusho ukuthi, uma sibala sihlehla, wazalwa ekuqaleni kwekwindla yonyaka.
Ukugubha kweRoma lobuqaba i-Saturnalia, usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingenakunqotshwa, kwakusezinyangeni ezintathu kamuva. Ukugujwa kokuzalwa kukaJesu kwasunduzelwa kanjani phambili ku-December 25, ukuze kuhambisane ngendlela ehlambalazayo nomkhosi wobuqaba wokugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa kwelanga?
Izinsuku zika-December ezimfushane kakhulu zabangela uvalo lwenkolelo-ze phakathi kwabakhulekeli belanga, ababesaba ukuthi unkulunkulu wabo wayefa. Bakhanyisa amakhandlela futhi babasa amakloba omlilo ukuze basize ekuvuseleleni lonkulunkulu ogulayo. Kwabonakala kusebenza. Ngemva kokuphenduka kwelanga kwasebusika ngo-December 21, kwakubonakala sengathi lonkulunkulu welanga wayethola amandla amasha njengoba izinsuku zaziba zinde.
“U-December kwakuyinyanga enkulu yokugujwa kwemikhosi yobuqaba, futhi u-Dec. 25 wayewumvuthwandaba wokuxokozela kwasebusika,” kuchaza i-Church Christmas Tab. “Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi umbhishobhi waseRome wakhetha u-Dec. 25 njengosuku lokuzalwa kukaKristu ukuze ‘angcwelise’ lemikhosi yobuqaba. Okwavela kwaba yingxube engavamile yemikhosi yobuqaba neyobuKristu izwe manje eliyibiza ngokuthi uKhisimusi.” Lesihloko siyavuma: “Igama elithi ‘uKhisimusi’ aliveli eBhayibhelini. Futhi imiBhalo ayiwunikezi umyalo wokugubha ukuzalwa kukaJesu.”
Yingakho isazi semfundo engokwenkolo uTertullian sakhononda: “Kithina, esingawajwayele amaSabatha, ukuthwasa kwenyanga nemikhosi, eyayemukeleka kuNkulunkulu ngaphambili, i-Saturnalia [neminye imikhosi yobuqaba] seyenziwa njalo, kwehliswa kwenyuswa izipho, . . . futhi ezemidlalo nemicimbi kugujwa ngokuxokozela.”
UPapa uGregory I waqhubeka nalokuthambekela okungcolisayo. Ngokukamagazini i-Natural History, “kunokuba izame ukuqeda imikhuba nezinkolelo zabantu, imiyalo kapapa yaba ukuthi, isebenziseni. Uma iqembu labantu likhulekela umuthi, kunokuba niwunqume, ungcweliseleni uKristu futhi nibavumele ukuba baqhubeke nokukhulekela kwabo.”
Iqiniso Alihlangani Namanga
Ingabe lenkambiso yokuyekelela yathola ukuvunyelwa kwaphezulu? Phawula isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu kubantu bakhe abase belungele ukungena eKhanani lamaqaba: “Xwaya . . . ungabuzi ngawonkulunkulu bazo, uthi: Lezizizwe zikhonza kanjani onkulunkulu bazo na? Nami ngiyakwenza kanjalo. Awuyikwenze njalo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ngokuba zenzile konkulunkulu bazo konke okuyisinengiso kuJehova akuzondayo.” (Duteronomi 12:30, 31) Isixwayiso esifanayo siyaphindwa emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki: “Maningaboshelwa ejokeni linye nabangakholwayo, ngokuba kunakuhlanganyela kuni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Kunabudlelwane buni ukukhanya nobumnyama na? Unakuzwana kuni uKristu noBeliyali [umbhalo waphansi we-NW, noSathane] na? Unasabelo sini okholwayo nongakholwayo na?”—2 Korinte 6:14, 15.
Yini enenga uNkulunkulu kangaka ngalabonkulunkulu bamanga nokukhulekelwa kwabo? USaturn wayengunkulunkulu welanga wamaRoma owayehlonishwa nge-Saturnalia. Ingabe kwakumfanele lokho? USimon Schama, uprofesa wezomlando eYunivesithi yaseHarvard, umbiza ngokuthi “umxokozeli wokudla, ukuphuza nezinye izinhlobo zokuganga.” Umagazini i-Lear’s ubiza leliholide ngokuthi “umkhosi wewayini wokuxokozela owawuthandwa kakhulu esikhathini sasendulo.”
Ukukhulekelwa okungokwesiko kukankulunkulu welanga uMithra kwakugcwele e-Asia. Ngokwesazi sendabuko nenhlalo yabantu uGabriel Seabrook, uMithra ‘wayewunkulunkulu oyiqhawe, owayeciba imicibisholo ebhubhisa ukuphila nezifo ezingalapheki ezitheni zakhe enkundleni yempi.’
Ukukhulekelwa kwelanga phakathi kwama-Aztec kwakugcwele ikakhulukazi ukuchithwa kwegazi. Umagazini i-Natural History uchaza ukuthi “ngaphandle kokuba izisulu zinikelwe konkulunkulu belanga, konke ukuphila—kuhlanganise nokwawonkulunkulu—kwakuyofa.”
Lapho uhlaziya imisuka yalomkhosi (bheka ibhokisi elingezansi), mhlawumbe ngeke kukumangaze ukuthi abathakathi nabakhulekeli bakaSathane basamhlonipha u-December 25. I-San Francisco Chronicle ka-December 21, 1991, icaphuna umthakathi ongumlobi othandwayo oyiqaba ethi: “Ungelinye lamaholide ethu anzima kakhulu. Sisebenza ubusuku bonke.” Ilungu leqembu i-Covenant of the Goddess lathi: “Sigcina isiko. . . . Amalungu esigungu sethu sabefundisi enza umdlalo oyimfihlo ophathelene nokuzalwa kwengane yelanga.”
Ingabe uNkulunkulu noma iNdodana yakhe bayolwamukela udumo olunjalo, olubonisa ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu bamanga?
Ingabe U-Ista—Noma U-Astarte?
Lemikhosi yeholide lomkhaya iqala ekuseni njengoba bevukela ukubingelela ukuphuma kwelanga ngokwesaba kwenhlonipho. Izingane zigqokiswa izingubo ezintsha zikanokusho, eziphelele ngezigqoko ezintsha. Lomkhosi uhlanganisa izifanekiselo zonogwaja, obhasikidi abagcwele amaqanda ahlotshiswe ngemibalabala, nezinkwa ezinesiphambano. Kumelwe ukuba ama-Ista. Noma ingabe yiwo?
Inkathi yasentwasahlobo yayingcwele kubakhulekeli bobulili basePhoenicia. Unkulunkulukazi wabo wenzalo, u-Astarte, noma u-Ishtar (ongu-Aphrodite kumaGreki), wayesebenzisa amaqanda nonogwaja njengezimpawu zakhe. Wayelinxanela ngokungenakwaneliswa igazi nokuziphatha okubi kobulili. Izithombe zakhe zazimveza ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene enezitho zobulili ezinengekayo, noma ephethe iqanda esandleni sakhe nonogwaja ohlangothini lwakhe. Ubufebe obungcwele babuyingxenye yokukhulekelwa kwakhe. EKhanani, lonkulunkulukazi wobulili wayebizwa ngokuthi umkaBali. Wayehlonishwa ngemikhosi yokuxokozela yokuzitika ngobulili, abakhulekeli bekholelwa ukuthi ukuhlanganyela kwabo ubulili kwakusiza ekubangeleni ukuvuselelwa ngokugcwele nokuhlanganyela kukaBali ubulili nomkakhe. Ngokwencwadi ethi Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, “alikho elinye izwe lapho kwatholwa khona inani elikhulu kangaka lezithombe zikankulunkulukazi wenzalo onqunu, ezinye ezihlambalaza ngokuqondile.”
Ngaphansi kwezikhumbuzo zakhe eCarthage, kwatholakala izitsha zokuphatha umlotha wabafile ezinombala ogqamile ezazinamathambo ashisiwe ezingane ezincane. Abazali bazo, ngokuvamile ababengabantu abanesikhundla esiphakeme nabavelele, babefunela ingcebo nethonya labo isibusiso sonkulunkulu. Ezinye zalezitsha zatholakala zinezinsalela zezingane eziningana zobudala obuhlukene, mhlawumbe ezomkhaya owodwa.
Ukuhlola ibhokisi elingenhla kuyobonisa indlela izinhlobo zanamuhla zalamasiko asendulo ezingafihlekile ngayo. Ngisho negama elithi Ista (Easter) alihlukile egameni lasendulo lobuqaba. Khona-ke, ingabe lena yindlela yokudumisa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu engcwele?
I-Halloween—Ubusuku Basendulo Bokwesaba
Ubusuku bokugcina buka-October. Ekukhanyeni kwenyanga, iqenjana labantu abambethe izingubo ezihlukile lihamba indlu ngendlu lisho elikufunayo ngezinsongo ezinzima. Okulinde kweminye iminyango amakhanda ayizindilinga akhanyiswe amakhandlela avuthayo—enziwe ngamafutha abantu. Eminye iminyango igcwele igazi labantu. Ubusuku bukaSamhain, inkosi yabafile engumCeltic.
Mhlawumbe awukho omunye umkhosi “wobuKristu” lapho uSathane ezidumisa ngokusobala kangaka futhi akhumbule abalandeli bakhe abafa empini. Umlobi uJ. Garnier usikisela ukuthi imikhosi yokuhlupheka nokufa ingathungathwa kusukela emuva ekubhujisweni kwasendulo kwabo bonke abalandeli bakaSathane abangabantu, kanye namadodana ayingxube ezingelosi ezona, esikhathini sikaZamcolo. Imiphakathi kuwo wonke umhlaba inemikhosi yabafileyo, “leyo ngokokulandisa kukaMose, egujwa yibo bonke ngosuku noma cishe ngalo kanye usuku uZamcolo owenzeka ngalo, okungukuthi, usuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga yesibili—inyanga eqondana cishe no-November wethu.”—The Worship of the Dead, kaJ. Garnier.
AmaDruid ayengahlukile. Ngo-October 31, kuthiwa uSamhain wayekhulula imimoya yabafileyo ukuze ihlangane nabaphilayo. AmaDruid ayezula emigwaqweni ephethe izibani, futhi lapho efika endlini, ayefuna ngenkani imali ewumnikelo owenzelwa uSathane.
I-Halloween iwusuku olukhulu olungokwesiko lobusathane. Ngokwesihloko esithile se-USA Today, “iyiholide elingokwenkolo labafile, abakhulekeli bakaSathane abenza ngalo imihlatshelo nalapho abathakathi begubha khona ngokuthula imijikelezo yemithandazo noma ukudla kwabafileyo.” Lesihloko sacaphuna umthakathi waseWashington uBryan Jordan ethi, “[AmaKristu] awakuqapheli, kodwa agubha iholide lethu kanye nathi. . . . Siyakuthanda lokho.”
Bazali, ingabe nifuna ukuba izingane zenu zilingise lamasiko amabi?
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Izimpawu ZikaKhisimusi
Isihlahla sikaKhisimusi “asihlangene nomkhosi wobuKristu futhi siphathelene kakhulu nokusinda ngenkani kwamasiko obuqaba okukhanya kwasebusika nokuzalwa kabusha phakathi nezinkulungwane zeminyaka.” (The Boston Herald) “Izihlahla ezinemihlobiso egqamile elenga kuzo zaziyingxenye yemikhosi yobuqaba emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka.”—Church Christmas Tab.
Isihlahla se-holly sasithandwa amaCelt “ukuze agcine imikhovu yasendlini iziphethe kahle ngesikhathi sasebusika sokuphenduka kwelanga. . . . Sasingase sixoshe ububi, sisize ekuchazeni amaphupho, sivikele indlu ekushayweni umbani.”—Beautiful British Columbia.
Umhlalanyoni “wavela kumaDruid eNgilandi ayewusebenzisa ekukhulekeleni okuyinqaba okuhlobene namandla obudemoni namasiko athile.”—Church Christmas Tab.
Ngo-December 25 “abakhulekeli bakaMithra babegubha ukuzalwa kukaMithra . . . Ngokuqinisekile awukho umthombo weBhayibheli oveza u-December 25 njengosuku lokuZalwa KukaJesu.”—Isaac Asimov.
Ukuphana izipho kwakuyisici se-Saturnalia. “Kulomkhosi kwakulindeleke ukuba unikeze bonke abangane bakho isipho esithile.”—Ancient Italy and Modern Religion.
Inkanyezi “ephezulu esihlahleni yayikhulekelwa eMpumalanga njengophawu lokuhlanzeka, ubuhle nokuthula eminyakeni engu-5 000 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu.”—United Church Herald.
Ikhandlela “aliveli . . . ethempelini lobuKristu. Salithatha e-altare lakudala kakhulu, i-oki lamaDruid.”—United Church Herald.
USanta wathathelwa “eqoqweni lezinganekwane zasendulo zamaJalimane: ‘UThor wayeyindoda endala, emnene nenobungane, enomzimba oqatha nentshebe ende emhlophe. Wayehamba ngenqola yamahhashi futhi kuthiwa wayehlala eNorthland . . . Isici ayephawulwa ngaso kwakuwumlilo, umbala wakhe ubomvu. Iziko kuwo wonke amakhaya lalingcwele kuye, futhi kuthiwa wayehlela kulo ngoshimula.’”—United Church Herald.
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Amasiko Asentwasahlobo
Ama-Ista “ekuqaleni ayewumkhosi wasentwasahlobo wokudumisa unkulunkulukazi ongumTeutonic wokukhanya nentwasahlobo owayaziwa ngokuthi u-Eastre ngolimi lwesi-Anglo-Saxon.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible) “Abukho ubufakazi bokugcinwa komkhosi wama-Ista eTestamenteni Elisha.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Unogwaja “wayewumphelezeli kankulunkulukazi ongumJalimane u-Ostara.”—Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.
Amaqanda “kuthiwa ayeshintshwa umbala futhi adliwe emikhosini yasentwasahlobo eGibithe, ePheresiya, eGreece, naseRoma lasendulo.”—Celebrations.
Isigqoko sama-Ista ekuqaleni “sasiyisixha sezimbali noma amacembe. Indilinga noma umqhele wawubonisa ilanga eliyindilinga nokuhamba kwalo emazulwini okwakubuyisa intwasahlobo.” Izingubo ezintsha zama-Ista zavela ngoba “kwakubhekwa njengonya futhi nanjengeshwa ukubingelela unkulunkulukazi waseNtwasahlobo waseScandinavia, noma u-Eastre, ungagqokile izingubo ezintsha, njengoba lonkulunkulukazi ayesebenzisa izingubo ezintsha emhlabeni.”—The Giant Book of Superstitions.
Izinkwa ezinesiphambano: “NjengamaGreki, amaRoma ayedla isinkwa esinophawu lwesiphambano . . . emikhosini yasobala yemihlatshelo.” Zazidliwa amaSaxon angamaqaba lapho edumisa ama-Ista.—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Izinkonzo zesonto zasekuphumeni kwelanga zifana namasiko “ayenziwa esikhathini lapho imini ilingana nobusuku entwasahlobo kwamukelwa ilanga namandla alo amakhulu aletha ukuphila okusha kuzo zonke izinto ezikhulayo.”—Celebrations.
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Umsuka We-Halloween Owesabekayo
Izivuvu nezingubo: “AmaCelt ayelungisela imimoya ukudla, iziphuzo nokunye ukudla okumnandi bese eyiyenga ukuba ihambe ngokugqoka izivuvu nezingubo futhi amashe aye emaphethelweni omuzi.”
Amakloba omlilo “ngokwezwi nezwi ‘ayewumlilo wamathambo’” lapho “abapristi babefuna ukushweleza kunkulunkulu welanga ngokwenza imihlatshelo yezilwane, futhi ngokuvamile, neyabantu.” (The Tampa Tribune) “Ngokubukela indlela lemihlatshelo eyayifa ngayo, amaDruid ayefuna izibikezelo zangesikhathi esizayo.”—Beaumont Enterprise.
Ukuphica noma Isipho: “Ukukhala kwamaDruid kwakufana nokwenza ‘Ukuphica noma Isipho’ kosuku lwanamuhla.’”—Central Coast Parent.
Izindaba ezithusayo: “Amasiko amaDruid okuchitha igazi abhebhethekiswa ngokugcizelelwa kwezipoki nemimoya lapho umuntu esemncane. . . . Imicimbi ye-Halloween nokuxoxa izindaba ezithusayo nakho kusukela ezikhathini zamaDruid lapho kwakukholelwa khona ukuthi imimoya izula ezweni.”—The Tampa Tribune.
Naphezu kwemisuka yobuqaba yalamaholide, abanye bayofikelwa ukwesaba lapho becabanga ngokwenqabela izingane injabulo yemikhosi yanamuhla. Kakade, yini izingane ezikhanyiselwe eziyaziyo ngoSaturn, u-Astarte, noSamhain basendulo? Ezinye zazi okuningana. Ziyazi futhi ukuthi azifuni ngisho nengxenye yabo.
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UMithra
UThor
[Imithombo]
Mithra: Musée du Louvre, Paris
Thor: The Age of Fable by T. Bulfinch, 1898
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U-Astarte
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Skull: U.S. Forest Service photo