“Usuku LukaSt. Nicholas”—Lwavelaphi?

UMA ungahamba emigwaqweni yaseBelgium ekuqaleni kukaDecember, uyobona okuthile okukhangayo: amaqembu amancane ezingane ezihamba indlu ngendlu, zihlabelela amaculo amafushane abizwa ngokuthi “amaculo kaSt. Nicholas.” Abaninikhaya basabela kulezingane ezikhangayo ngokuzipha izithelo, uswidi, noma imali.

Siyini lesehlakalo? “Usuku LukaSt. Nicholas”! EUnited States nakwamanye amazwe, “uSt. Nicholas,” noma “uSanta Claus,” uhlangene nosuku lukaKhisimusi. Kodwa eBelgium, “losanta” onentshebe unosuku olungolwakhe. Ngempela, “uSt. Nicholas” (uSinterklaas, noma uSint Nicolaas), olusuku lwakhe lomkhosi luba ngolwesithupha lukaDecember, ungomunye ‘wosanta’ abathandwa kakhulu eBelgium naseNetherlands. Amasonto amaningi, imigwaqo, noma izindawo zokuhlala ziqanjwe ngaye. Ngokwesiko waziwa ngokuthi “ungumngane omkhulu wabantwana” obapha izipho ngenjabulo ngosuku lomgidi wakhe.

Ngokuhlwa okwandulela leloholide, abantwana abancane babeka esinye sezicathulo zabo eduze kukashemula ngesikhathi behlabelela amaculo abo amafushane. Baye batshelwa ukuthi ‘uSanta’ Nicholas nesisebenzi sakhe esinsundu (esibizwa ngokuthi uPeter Omnyama) bazofika ngalobobusuku ngomkhumbi ovela eSpain. Ngemva kwalokho, ‘losanta’ uzogijima phezu kophahla lwezindlu ngehhashi lakhe elimpunga, elandelwa uPeter Omnyama, ophethe induku nesikhwama esikhulu esithwele amathoyizi namaswidi. UNicholas futhi uletha ama-aphula, amantongomani, neminye imikhiqizo yasemasimini. Ngokuvamile ushiya iqebelengwane elinsundu, elithakiwe elibizwa ngokuthi ispeculaas, noma amaqebelengwane ombhishobhi, abhakwa abe izimo ezikhethekile ezakhiwe ngobuhlakani.

Obani abaphiwayo? Abantwana abaziphathe kahle ngonyaka odlule. Nokho, abangalaleli kuthiwa bayothola induku; noma okubi kunalokho, bangase bafakwe esikhwameni sikaPeter Omnyama futhi bathwalwe! Khona-ke, ngokuqondakalayo abantwana bamagange ngokujabulisa lezivakashi zasebusuku. Ngakho, “usanta” ubekelwa ingilazi yotshwala, kuthi ihhashi lakhe libekelwe isaqatha noma izigaxa ezimbalwa zikashukela.

Abazali abaningi eBelgium babheka “uSuku LukaSt. Nicholas” njengesikhathi sonyaka esijabulisa kakhulu. Bayakujabulela ukubuka ubuso obulindele lukhulu babantwana babo abakubheke ngabomvu ukuthola ukuthi “usanta omuhle” ubaphatheleni! Kanjalo badlulisela izinganekwane kubantwana babo, bengazi ukuthi lamasiko adabukaphi. Ukuba bebazi, mhlawumbe bebengashaqeka.

“USanta” Nicholas No-Odin

IOosthoeks Encyclopedia iyachaza: “Ukugujwa kosuku [lukaSt. Nicholas] emikhayeni kwasukela emkhosini wesonto (owawuhlanganisa nezipho zabantwana abangazilindele) nawo owasukela emikhubeni yangaphambi kobuKristu. USanta Nicholas, ogijima ngehhashi ophahleni lwezindlu, ungunkulunkulu wamaqaba uWodan [Odin]. . . . USanta Nicholas futhi wayengumholi womgijimo wobuhlanya okwakuthi phakathi nawo imiphefumulo yabafile ivakashele emhlabeni.”

Yebo, amaTeuton ayekholelwa ukuthi uOdin noma uWodan, unkulunkulu wawo oyinhloko, wayehola imiphefumulo yabafile ekugijimeni kobuhlanya okunqamula izwe eziphakathi “nezinsuku ezimbi eziyishumi nambili” phakathi kukaKhisimusi ne-Epiphany (January 6). Isiphepho esasidaleka lapho sasithwala imbewu yomkhiqizo wamasimu, kanjalo kukhuthazeke ukuvunda. Kuthiwani ngama-aphula, amantongomane, neminye imikhiqizo yasekwindla okuphiswana ngayo ‘ngoSuku LukaSt. Nicholas’? Lokhu kwakuyizimpawu zokuvunda. Abantu basendulo babekholelwa ukuthi babengabajabulisa onkulunkulu babo ngokubapha izipho phakathi nezinsuku ezibandayo, ezimnyama zasebusika. Umphumela walokhu wawuba inzalo eyengeziwe kubantu, ezilwaneni, nokuvunda emhlabathini.

UOdin wayephelezelwa isisebenzi sakhe uEckhard, umanduleli kaPeter Omnyama, naye owayephatha induku. Kamuva kangangeNkathi Ephakathi, kwakuyinkolelo eyandile ukuthi izihlahla nezithombo ezithile kungenza abantu babe nenzalo nokuthi ukumane nje ushaye owesifazane ngegatsha lomuthi onjalo kwakwanele ukumenza akhulelwe.

Incwadi iFeest-en Vierdagen in kerk en volksgebruik (Amaholide Nemikhosi Esontweni Nasemasikweni Athandwayo) iphawula okunye ukufana okumbalwa phakathi kukaOdin ‘noSanta’ Nicholas: “UWodan, naye, wayegcwalisa izicathulo zokhuni ezazibekwa ngakushemula ngegolide. Ihhashi likaWodan lona lalibekelwa utshani obomisiwe esicathulweni sokhuni. Isithungu sokugcina sasensimini naso kwakungesehhashi.”

Incwadi ethi Sint Nicolaas, kaB. S. P. van den Aardweg, ikhomba okunye ukufana okumbalwa okuphawulekayo:

“USt. Nicholas: umuntu omude, onamandla ogibele ihhashi elimhlophe. Unentshebe ende emhlophe, uphethe udondolo esandleni sakhe, uthwele nesigqoko sababhishobhi ekhanda . . . wembethe nejazi lombhishobhi elibanzi, elintazayo.

“UWodan: umuntu omude onentshebe emhlophe. Uthwele isigqoko esinompheme obanzi asithwala sicishe sivale amehlo. Esandleni sakhe uphethe umkhonto womlingo. Wembethe ingubo ebanzi futhi ugibele ihhashi lakhe elithembekile elimpunga uSleipnir.

“Kukhona okwengeziwe kwalokhu kufana okusobala: UWodan wayegibela ihhashi lakhe ahambe ngalo emoyeni futhi abantu abathuthumelayo babemnika amakhekhe agxushiwe ngaphezu kwenyama nomkhiqizo wamasimu. USt. Nicholas ugijima ngehhashi ophahleni lwezindlu abantwana balungiselele ihhashi utshani obomile, izaqatha, namanzi. Amaqebelengwane afakwe uginger nenduku kwakuyizimpawu zokuvunda ngaphambili kakhulu kokuba kube khona imikhosi kaSt. Nicholas.”

Imikhuba Yosuku Lwanamuhla Yokuvunda

Amaningi amanye amasiko ahlotshaniswa ‘noSanta’ Nicholas ngokufanayo abonisa ukudabuka kwayo ebuqabeni. Ngokwesibonelo, ezindaweni zasenyakatho ngoDecember 4, abafana abancane abaneminyaka esukela kweyi-12 kuya kweyi-18 baphumela emigwaqweni. Begqoke izingubo eziyinqaba ezihlotshiswe ngezimpaphe, amagobolondo, nezinye izinto ezitholakala kuleyondawo, labafana abazemboze ubuso bamelela “oSanta Nicholas abancane,” noma oSunne Klaezjen. Ngobusuku obulandelayo, izinsizwa ezineminyaka eyi-18 nangaphezu zithola ithuba lazo. Kusihlwa, zizulazula emigwaqweni. Zisebenzisa imishanelo, izimpondo zezinyathi, neziqwayi, zixosha bonke abesifazane, amantombazane, nabafana abancane okwenzeka zihlangane nabo. Amantombazane amancane enziwa ukuba adanse noma eqe induku.

Iyini injongo yakho konke lokhu? Kwakuyinzalo—lokho kukhathazeka okungapheli kwabantu basendulo. Ubusika babuyinkathi yobumnyama nokukhathazeka, futhi ngokuvamile babubhekwa njengesikhathi unkulunkulu wenzalo asuke elele noma efile ngaso. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene lonkulunkulu anganikwa ukuphila okusha noma ukuthi unkulunkulu noma unkulunkulukazi angase okungenani anikwe usizo oluthile. Izipho, imidanso, umsindo, ukushaywa ngenduku yenzalo—konke lokhu kwakubhekwa njengezindlela zokuxosha imimoya emibi neyokwandisa inzalo kubantu, nasezilwaneni, nokuvunda emhlabathini.

Ngakho lapho amantombazane amancane eqa induku, alingisa okhokho bawo ababekholelwa ukuthi ukuphakama ababegxuma bafinyelele kukho kwakuyoba ubude ifilakisi elaliyokhula libufinyelele. Ngokuxosha abesifazane nabantwana, izinsizwa zaziphinda umkhuba wokuxosha omoya ababi.

Isinqumo Abakhulekeli Beqiniso Okumelwe Basenze

Kungani imikhuba enjalo ibe yingxenye yalokho okubizwa ngokuthi ubuKristu? Kungenxa yokuthi emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, abavangeli bamasonto abazange baphikelele ekutheni abantu babo abaphendukile balandele umyalo ongokomBhalo: “Phumani phakathi kwabo, nahlukane nabo, . . . ningathinti okungcolileyo.” (2 Korinte 6:17) Esikhundleni sokuqeda imikhuba yobuqaba, izithunywa zenkolo zeLobukholwa eqinisweni zawathuthukisa lamasiko ngokuwalungisa nangokuwasebenzisa. Amasiko anjalo abe esandiselwa emhlabeni wonke.

AmaDashi athutha ayohlala eNyakatho Melika ahamba nesiko lokugubha umkhosi ‘kaSanta’ Nicholas. Ngemva kwesikhathi leligama lashintshwa laba ‘uSanta Claus.’ Umbhishobhi ohloniphekayo waguqulwa waba indoda enezihlathi ezibomvu, ekhuluphele egqoke isudi ebomvu ngokugqamile. Esikhundleni sesigqoko sakhe sombhishobhi kwaba isigqoko sikamantindane kwathi esikhundleni sehhashi elimhlophe kwaba isihlibhi esidonswa inyamazane. Nokho, uSanta Claus waqhubeka engumlethi wezipho, nakuba isikhathi sakhe sokuvakasha sashintshelwa osukwini olwandulela olukaKhisimusi.

Ezindaweni zaseJalimane zobuProthestani, “uSanta” Nicholas wamaKatolika wathathelwa indawo “uFather Christmas” ongakhethi. Nokho, izici zobuqaba zisalokhu zibonakala ngokucacile kuze kube yilolusuku.

UJesu Kristu wathi “abakhulekayo abaqinisileyo b[a]yakukhuleka kuBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:23) Kubakhulekeli abaqotho, amasiko “kaSanta” Nicholas abeka inselele yangempela: Ingabe labakhulekeli bayoqhubeka bethuthukisa imikhuba yasendulo yehlelo likaOdin, noma ingabe bayogqashula ezinsaleleni zobuhedeni? Lesi yisikhathi esihle sonyaka sokucabanga ngalowombuzo ongathi sína.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

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