UKhisimusi—Kungani Uthandwa Kangaka EJapane?
UKUKHOLELWA kuFather Christmas kugxile ngokujulile kubantwana basezweni lobuBuddha nobuShinto laseJapane. Ngo-1989, abantwana baseJapane babhalela eSanta World eSweden izincwadi ezingu-160 000. Alikho elinye izwe elathumela ezingaphezu kwalezo. Babhala lezincwadi benethemba lokwanelisa izifiso zezinhliziyo zabo, kungaba i“Graphic Computer” eyithoyizi ebiza amayen angu-18 000 (R374) noma ivideo yokudlala ephathekayo ebiza amayen angu-12 500 (R261).
Emantombazaneni asemancane aseJapane, ukuphola nowobulili obuhlukile ngoBusuku Obandulela UKhisimusi kusho okuthile okukhethekile. “Ngokokuhlola okwenziwa kwabesifazane abasebasha,” kusho iMainichi Daily News, “amaphesenti angu-38 athi ayehlelele uBusuku Obandulela UKhisimusi esikhathini esingangenyanga ngaphambili.” Izinsizwa zisuke zinezisusa eziseceleni uma zifuna ukuba ndawonye nezintombi zazo ngoBusuku Obandulela UKhisimusi. “Kungumqondo omuhle ukuthandaza ndawonye buthule nentombi yakho,” kusikisela umagazini othile ohlelelwe izinsizwa. “Kwenzeni endaweni ethile eyisimanje. Ubuhlobo benu buzokhula ngokushesha.”
Amadoda aseJapane nawo athemba ukuthi azoshukumisa amandla athile omlingo ngesiko lawo likaKhisimusi lokuthenga “ikhekhe lokuhlobisa” uma evela emsebenzini. Ukuzenza uSanta Claus kucatshangwa ukuthi kwenana ukudebesela umkhaya phakathi nonyaka.
Ngempela, uKhisimusi uye wagxila kubantu baseJapane abangewona amaKristu. Eqinisweni, amaphesenti angu-78 alabo abahlolwa yisitolo esikhulu sokudla athi enza okuthile okukhethekile ekwenzela uKhisimusi. Isilinganiso sikhulu kakhulu ezweni lapho kunabantu abayiphesenti elilodwa kuphela abathi bakholelwa ebuKristwini. Nakuba bezisholo ukuthi bangabalandeli bobuBuddha nobuShinto, bazizwa bekhululekile ukujabulela leliholide “lobuKristu.” Encwadini yalo yezinsuku zonyaka, kuhlanganise nemikhosi yaseJapane, iSonto leShinto Ise elaziwayo lithi uDecember 25 “Usuku lokuzalwa kukaKristu.” Nokho, izigameko ezingezona ezobuKristu ezingene ekuthokozeni kwaphakathi noKhisimusi ziphakamisa umbuzo:
UKhisimusi Uwumkhosi Wobani?
IWebster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary ichaza uKhisimusi ngokuthi “umkhosi wamaKristu wangoDecember 25 . . . wokugubha ukuzalwa kukaKristu.” Uye wabhekwa njengesikhathi sokuba “amaKristu” “ahlangane emizweni yawo yenjabulo ngosuku lokuzalwa kukaKristu.”
Labo abagubha uKhisimusi njengomkhosi ongokwenkolo ngokuphelele bangase bathole labo abenza lolusuku lube ngolwezwe ngokuthokoza nangokuphana izipho becasula futhi behlambalaza. “EJapane sigxile ngokuyinhloko kwezentengiselwano eziwubuwula: hhayi kuKristu,” kubhala umuntu waseMelika ohlala eJapane. “Kumuntu waseNtshonalanga,” kubhala omunye ngokuqondene noKhisimusi waseJapane, “okuntulekayo akulona ikalikuni [elingatholakali kalula ezimakethe zaseJapane], kodwa kuntuleka isithako esibaluleke kakhulu, umoya.”
Khona-ke, uyini umoya kaKhisimusi? Ingabe uyisimo senkonzo yesonto enezingoma, izihlahla zikaKhisimusi, namakhandlela, lokho kwabaningi okusetshenziselwa uhambo abaluthatha kanye ngonyaka beya esontweni? Noma ingabe uwuthando, injabulo, kanye nokuphana izipho okushukumisela abaningi ukuba baphe? Ingabe uwukuzola okuba khona enkundleni yempi lapho amasosha egcina izinsuku ezimbalwa ‘zokuthula emhlabeni’?
Ngokumangalisayo, umoya kaKhisimusi ngokuvamile uyehluleka ukuletha ukuthula ngisho nasemakhaya. Ngokokuhlola okwenziwa ngo-1987 eNgilandi, kwalinganiselwa ukuthi kwakungagqashuka ‘impi yangaphakathi’ emakhayeni aseBrithani angamaphesenti angu-70 phakathi noKhisimusi ngalowonyaka. Ukulwela imali kuba imbangela eyinhloko. Ukuphuza ngokweqile nokungafezi komuntu indima yakhe emkhayeni nakho kuholela ekulweni.
“Ngiyazibuza nje ukuthi akunakwenzeka yini ukuthi kukhona okusilahlekelayo ngalokho ngempela okushiwo uKhisimusi,” kubhala umuntu waseNtshonalanga ohlala eJapane obevakashele ekhaya lakhe phakathi nesikhathi sikaKhisimusi muva nje. “Njalo ngoDec. 25, ngizwa ukulangazelela okungaguquki kokuphindela kuloluyahlobo oluyisidala lukaKhisimusi wasendulo—umkhosi wobuqaba owawugubha ukungena kobusika enhla nenkabazwe ngokukhulekela imithi nokwenza imikhuba yemikhosi yokukhulekela. Sisenayo yonke imihlobiso yobuqaba—umhlalanyoni, isihlahla sikaKhisimusi, isihlahla sefir nokunye—kodwa ngandlela-thile uKhisimusi uye washintsha ngokuphelele kusukela lapho uthunjwa amaKristu futhi ewushintsha ewenza umkhosi ongokwenkolo.”
Ngokungenakuphikwa, uKhisimusi uyiholide lobuqaba. AmaKristu okuqala awazange awugubhe “ngoba ayebheka ukugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa kwanoma ubani njengesiko lobuqaba,” kusho iWorld Book Encyclopedia. Imikhosi yobuqaba kaSaturnalia noNcibijane iyimithombo yokuthokoza nokuphana izipho.
Uma ngokuyisisekelo uKhisimusi uwubuqaba, amaKristu eqiniso kumelwe abuze lombuzo, Ingabe uKhisimusi ungowamaKristu? Ake sibone lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngokuqondene nokugujwa kosuku lukaKristu lokuzalwa.
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Imvelaphi Yokugujwa KukaKhisimusi
Nakuba imininingwane enembile iluvindi ngenxa yokuhamba kwesikhathi, kubonakala sengathi ngo-336 C.E., uhlobo oluthile lukaKhisimusi lwalugujwa isonto lamaRoma. “Usuku lukaKhisimusi lwamiswa ngamabomu ukuba lube nguDecember 25,” kuchaza iNew Encyclopædia Britannica, “ukuze kuthathwe indawo yomkhosi omkhulu kankulunkulu welanga.” Lokho kwenzeka ngesikhathi amaqaba ezitika ngemikhuba yokukhulekela phakathi nomkhosi wamaRoma iSaturnalia kanye nomkhosi wokungena kobusika enhla nenkabazwe ogujwa amaCelt namaJalimane. INew Caxton Encyclopedia ithi “iSonto lathola ithuba lokwenza lemikhosi ibe eyobuKristu.”