Maidi Ari Seri kweKrisimisi, Isita, uye “Halloween”
BHAIBHERI rinoratidza kuti Jesu akanga ava namakore 33 1/2 okukura apo akaroverwa mukuvamba kwechirimo cha 33 N.V., panguva yePaseka yechiJudha. Ikoku kunoreva, mukuverenga makore muchidzoka shure, kuti akaberekwa mukuvamba kwomumunakamwe wegore.
Mutambo weSaturnalia weRoma yechihedheni, zuva rokuberekwa kwezuva risingakundwi, wakanga uri mwedzi mitatu gare gare. Kuchengetwa kwokuberekwa kwaJesu kwakasundirwa mberi sei kuna December 25, kuti kuwirirane nomutoo wokumhura nomutambo wechihedheni wezuva rokuberekwa kwezuva?
Mazuva anoramba akapfupika aDecember akanyandura kuvhunduka kwokutenda mashura pakati pavanamati vezuva, avo vaitya kuti mwari wavo akanga ari kufa. Vaipisa makanduro uye vaivesa mwoto mikuru kubetsera kumutsidzira mwari ari kurwara. Kwakaratidzika kuva kwakashanda. Pashure papanenge panhambo yechando yokupfupika kwamazuva nokureba kwamazuva yaDecember 21, mwari wezuva akaratidzika kuva awanazve simba rake sezvo mazuva aiwedzera kuva marefu zvikuru.
“December akanga ari mwedzi mukuru womutambo wechihedheni, uye Dec. 25 akanga ari nhambo huru yemitambo yakaipa yomuchando,” inotsanangura kudaro Church Christmas Tab. “Vamwe vanodavira kuti bhishopi weRoma akasarudza Dec. 25 somusi wokuberekwa kwaKristu kuti a‘tsvenese’ mitambo yechihedheni. Chakava muuyo chakanga chiri muvhenganiswa wechienzi wemitambo yechihedheni neyechiKristu icho zvino nyika inoidza kuti Krisimisi.” Nyaya yacho inobvuma, kuti: “Shoko rokuti ‘Krisimisi’ hariwaniki muBhaibheri. Uye Rugwaro harupi murairo wokuchengeta kuberekwa kwaJesu.”
Hakushamisi kuti wezvoruzivo rwaMwari Tertullian akanyunyuta, kuti: “Kwatiri, isu tisina kurovedzana neSabata, nemwedzi mitsva nemitambo, zvaimbogamuchirika kuna Mwari, Saturnalia [uye mimwe mitambo yechihedheni] zvino zvinowanzoitwa, zvipo zvinoendeswa zvichidzoswa, . . . uye mitambo namadyo zvinochengetwa noruzha.”
Pope Gregory I akapfuuridzira uyu muitiro unoshatsa. Mukuwirirana nemagazini inonzi Natural History, “panzvimbo pokuedza kubvisa tsika dzavanhu nezvitendero, mirairidzo yapapa yaiva, ishandisei. Kana boka ravanhu richinamata muti, panzvimbo pokuuriga, ngaupirwe kuna Kristu uye vabvumirei kupfuuridzira kunamata kwavo.”
Hapana Kuvhenganiswa Kwezvokwadi Nenhema
Uyu muitiro wokubvumirana pane zvisina kufanira wakava netendero youmwari here? Cherekedza nyevero yaMwari kuvanhu vake vakanga vagadzirira kupinda muKanani yechihedheni: “Zvingwarire umene . . . nokuda kwokutyira kuti iwe ungabvunza pamusoro pavamwari vavo, uchiti, ‘Kwakadaro sei kuti aya marudzi aisibata vamwari vavo? Uye ini, hungu, ini, ndichaita nenzira imwe cheteyo.’ Haufaniri kuitira Jehovha Mwari wako saizvozvo, nokuti chinhu chiri chose chinonyangadza kuna Jehovha icho iye anovenga ivo vakachiitira vamwari vavo.” (Dheuteronomio 12:30, 31, NW) Nyevero imwe cheteyo inodzokororwa muMagwaro echiKristu echiGiriki: “Musasungwa zvisina kufanira pajoko navasingatendi. Nokuti kururama kune ukama hwei nokusateerera mutemo? Kana kuti chiedza chine mugove wei nerima? Kupfuurirazve, iwiriranoi iripo pakati paKristu naBheriari [mashoko omuzasi, Satani]? Kana kuti munhu akatendeka ane mugove wei naasingatendi?”—2 VaKorinte 6:14, 15, NW.
Mwari anowanei kuva chinonyangadza kwazvo pamusoro paava vamwari venhema nokunamatwa kwavo? Saturn akanga ari mwari wezuva wavaRoma aikudzwa naSaturnalia. Akanga akafanirwa here? Simon Schama, purofesa wenhau paHarvard University, anomuidza kuti “mutambo woupengo wokudya, kunwa namamwe marudzi oushati.” Magazini yeLear inoidza zororo racho kuti “mutambo wewaini wakakurumbira zvikurusa munyika yekare.”
Kunamatwa kwomuitiro kwamwari wezuva Mithra kwakabatanidza Asia. Mukuwirirana nenyanzvi yamagariro avanhu Gabriel Seabrook, iye akanga ari “mwari ari murwi, aipotsera miseve inoparadza upenyu nehosha dzisingarapiki pavavengi vake munhandare yehondo.”
Kunamatwa kwezuva pakati pavaAztec kwakanga kuri zvikurukuru kwechishava. Magazini yeNatural History inotsanangura kuti “kutoti vanyajambwa vakabairwa kuna vamwari vezuva, upenyu hwose—kubatanidza nouhwo hwavamwari—hwaizofa.”
Pakuhwirudzura mavambo ouyu mutambo (ona bhokisi riri pasi apa), zvichida kungaitika seisati iri katyamadzo kwauri kuti varoyi navanamati vaSatani vachiri kukudza December 25. San Francisco Chronicle yaDecember 21, 1991, inonokora mashoko muroyi nomunyori akatanhamara wechihedheni seanoti: “Ndiro rimwe ramazororo edu rinoda nhamburiko huru zvikuru. Tinoita pungwe.” Mumwe mutezo weSungano yeboka raVamwarikadzi akati: “Tinoita muitiro. . . . Mitezo yavafundisi vedu inoita chinoitika chorudzidziso pamusoro pokuberekwa kwomwana wenyika dzinopoteredza zuva.”
Mwari kana kuti Mwanakomana wake achagamuchira kukudzwa kwakadaro here, uko kunoratidzira kunamatwa kwavamwari venhema?
IIsita here—kana kuti Astarte?
Mitambo yezororo yeiyi mhuri inovamba nokukurumidza mumangwanani sezvavanomuka kuti vawane kubuda kwezuva norutyo rwokuremekedza. Vana vanopfekedzwa zvipfeko zvitsva zvakanakisisa, vakakwana nengowani itsva. Mutambo wacho unobatanidza zviratidzo zvetsuro, tswanda dzizere namazai anoruvara rwakajeka, uye mabhanzi anopisa ane muchinjikwa. Inofanira kuva Isita. Kana kuti ndiyo here?
Nguva yechirimo yakanga ichiyera kuvanamati vevatano vePhoenicia. Mwarikadzi wavo woruzvaro, Astarte, kana kuti Ishtar (Aphrodite kuvaGiriki), sezviratidzo zvake aiva nezai netsuro. Akanga ane nyota isingapedzeki nokuda kweropa nevatano youtere. Mifananidzo yake yaimuratidzira seane mitezo yevatano yakawedzerwa nomutoo wamasimba masimba kana kuti aine zai muruoko rwake netsuro parutivi rwake. Kuhura kunoyera kwakanga kuri rutivi rwomuitiro wake. MuKanani, mwarikadzi wevatano ainzi mudzimai waBhaari. Aikudzwa nemitambo yakashata yevatano yokudhakwa, vanamati vachidavira kuti vatano yavo yaibetsera kuparira kumuka kwakakwana nokuvatana kwaBhaari nomudzimai wake. Mukuwirirana nebhuku rinonzi Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, “hapana imwe nyika ine chiverengero chakati kurei kwazvo chemifananidzo yamwarikadzi asina kupfeka woruzvaro, mimwe inonyangadza zvikuru, yakawanwa.”
Munyasi meyeuko kwaari muCarthage, zvirongo zvina mavara akajeka zvakawanwa zvine mapfupa akapiswa avana vaduku. Vabereki vavo, vanowanzova vanhu vakatanhamara, vakatsvaka chikomborero chavamwari pamusoro pepfuma yavo nepesvedzero. Zvimwe zvezvirongo zvakawanwa zvine zvisaririra zvevana vanoverengeka vamazera akasiana-siana, zvichida vemhuri imwe cheteyo.
Kunzvera bhokisi riri pamusoro apa kucharatidza kuti zvimiro zvomuzuva razvino uno zveiyi miitiro yekare hazvina kutongovanzwa sei. Kunyange zita rokuti Isita harina kutongosiana nezita rechihedheni rekare. Ko iyi, ipapoka, ndiyo nzira yokukudza nayo Mwanakomana mutsvene waMwari here?
Halloween—Usiku Hwekare Hwetyisidziro?
Uhu ndihwo usiku hwokupedzisira hwaOctober. Kupfurikidza nechiedza chomwedzi, boka duku ravanhu vakapfeka koshitomu rinoenda paimba neimba vachitaura zvavanoda netyisidziro huru. Inorinda mamwe masuo misoro yakadzvinyika yamarambi akaita samanhanga anopenya namakanduro anobvira—akaitwa namafuta avanhu. Mamwe masuo anodonha ropa ravanhu. Usiku hwaSamhain, ishe wavaCelt wavakafa.
Zvichida hakuna mumwe mutambo “wakaitwa wechiKristu” uyo Satani anokuzvikudza zvikuru amene uye anoyeuka vakafa vake. Munyori J. Garnier anokarakadza kuti mitambo yokutambura norufu inogona kurondwa shure kusvikira kuruparadziko rwekare rwavateveri vake vose vohunhu, pamwe chete navanakomana vechienzi vengirozi dzakatadza, panguva yaMafashamo. Tsika munyika yose dzine mitambo yavakafa, “inoitwa navose pazuva rimene kana kuti panenge pairo, mukuwirirana nenhauro yaMosesi, Boporodzi rakaitika, ndiko kuti, pazuva rechinomwe romwedzi wechipiri—mwedzi unodokuva unowirirana naNovember wedu.”—The Worship of the Dead, rakanyorwa naJ. Garnier.
VaDruid vakanga vasingasiiwi. Pana October 31, Samhain aitaurwa kuva anosunungura midzimu yavakafa kuti isangane navapenyu. VaDruid vaifamba-famba mumigwagwa namarambi, uye pakusvika pamba, vairaira mari sechipiriso nokuda kwaSatani.
Halloween izuva guru romuitiro rousatani. “Izororo rorudzidziso nokuda kwavari pasi penyika, navezvousatani vachiita zvibairo navaroyi vachichengeta chinyararire nomunyengetero nhambo kana kuti zvokudya nokuda kwavakafa,” mukuwirirana nenyaya yeUSA Today. Yakanokora mashoko muroyi weWashington Bryan Jordan seaiti, “[maKristu] haakuzivi, asi ari kuchengeta zororo redu nesu. . . . Tinozvida.”
Vabereki, munoda here kuti vana venyu vatevedzere iyi miitiro youipi?
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Zviratidzo zveKrisimisi
Muti weKrisimisi “une zviduku zvinokosha zvokuita nomutambo wechiKristu uye zvakawanda zvokuita nokupukunyuka kwechisimbwa kupfurikidza nemillennia yemiitiro yechihedheni yechiedza chomwaka wechando nokuberekwazve.” (The Boston Herald) “Miti ine mabwe anokosha akarembera pairi yakanga iri rutivi rwemitambo yechihedheni kwamazana amakore.”—Church Christmas Tab.
Holly yakanga yakakurumbira kuna vaCelt “kuchengeta mufambiro womumba wakanaka munguva yepanhambo yechando yokupfupika kwamazuva nokureba kwamazuva. . . . Yaigona kutsausa ushati, kubetsera kuukwa kwezviroto, kudzivirira imba pamheni.”—Beautiful British Columbia.
Mistletoe “yakabva muvaDruid muEngland avo vaiishandisa mukunamata kwechienzi kune chokuita namasimba oudhemoni namashiripiti.”—Church Christmas Tab.
Pana December 25 “Vateveri vaMithra vakachengeta kuberekwa kwaMithra . . . Hapana chose chose chiremera cheBhaibheri chaDecember 25 serave riri zuva roKuberekwa.”—Isaac Asimov.
Kupa zvipo kwakanga kuri rutivi rwaSaturnalia. “Waikarirwa pauyu mutambo kupa chipiwa chakati kushamwari dzako dzose.”—Ancient Italy and Modern Religion.
Nyeredzi “iri pamusoro pomuti yakanga ichinamatwa muMabvazuva sechiratidzo chorucheno, runako uye rugare makore 5 000 pamberi pokuberekwa kwaKristu.”—United Church Herald.
Kanduro “haibvi . . . munzvimbo tsvene yechiKristu. Takaitora muatari yapakuvamba zvikurusa, pamuouki wavaDruid.”—United Church Herald.
Santa akabiwa “mungano dzekare dzeGermany: ‘Thor akanga ari mukweguru, anofara naane ushamwari, mukobvu ane ndebvu refu chena. Aityaira ngoro uye aitaurwa kuva anogara muNorthland . . . Vara rake rakanga riri mwoto, ruvara rwake rutsvuku. Choto mumusha uri wose chakanga chichiyera kwaari, uye aitaurwa kuve aiburukira machiri nomuchimbini.”—United Church Herald.
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Miitiro Yechirimo
Isita yakanga iri “pakuvamba mutambo wechirimo mukukudzwa kwamwarikadzi Teutonic wechiedza nechirimo anozivikanwa muAnglo-Saxon saEastre.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible) “Hamuna ratidziro yokuchengetwa kwomutambo weIsita muTestamente Itsva.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Tsuro “yakanga iri muperekedzi wamwarikadzi weGermany Ostara.”—Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.
Mazai “aitaurwa kuva aidhaiwa ndokudyiwa pamitambo yechirimo muEgipita yekare, Persia, Girisi, uye Roma.”—Celebrations.
Ngowani yeIsita pakuvamba “yakanga iri chiremba chamaruva kana mashizha. Denderedzwa kana chiremba zvairatidzira zuva rakatenderera nomukoto waro mumatenga waiunza kudzoka kwechirimo.” Zvipfeko zveIsita zvitsva zvakatanga nemhaka yokuti “kwakarangarirwa kuva kusaremekedza uye naizvozvo mhanza yakashata kukwazisa mwarikadzi weScandinavia weChirimo, kana Eastre, muchinhu chipi nechipi asi zvipfeko zvitsva, sezvo mwarikadzi akanga achiunza chipfeko chitsva pasi pano.”—The Giant Book of Superstitions.
Mabhanzi anopisa ane muchinjikwa: “Kufanana navaGiriki, vaRoma vaidya chingwa chakatarwa muchinjikwa . . . pazvibairo zvavose.” Aidyiwa navaSaxon vechihedheni mukukudzwa kweIsita.—Encyclopædia Britannica.
Mabasa anoitwa pakubuda kwezuva anowirirana nemiitiro “yaiitwa panhambo yokuenzana kwousiku namasikati yechirimo yokuchingamidza zuva nesimba raro guru rokuunza upenyu hutsva kuzvinhu zvose zvinomera.”—Celebrations.
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Manyuko Anotyisa eHalloween
Mamask nekoshitumu: “VaCelt vaigovera zvokudya, zvinwiwa nezvimwe zvipo zvemidzimu dzokonokei voinyengedza kuti ibve kupfurikidza nokupfeka mamask nekoshitumu ndokufora vachienda kumucheto kwomusha.”
Mwoto mikuru yaiva “‘mwoto mikuru’ chaiyoiyo” umo “vaprista vaitsvaka kupfupa mwari wezuva kupfurikidza nokubaira mhuka uye, kazhinji kazhinji, vanhuwo.” (The Tampa Tribune) “Kupfurikidza nokucherekedza mafire aiita zvibairo, vaDruid vaitsvaka mashura omunguva yemberi.”—Beaumont Enterprise.
Muitiro wenyengedzo kana kuti kukumbira zvipo: “Kudanidzira kwavaDruid kwakanga kwakaenzana no‘Muitiro wenyengedzo kana kuti kukumbira zvipo’ kwomuzuva razvino uno.”—Central Coast Parent.
Nhau dzinotyisa: “Miitiro yechishava yavaDruid inopfuudzirwa musimbiso yepwere pazvipoko nemidzimu. . . . Mitambo yeHalloween nokutaurwa kwengano dzinotyisa zvakavambawo munguva dzavaDruid apo midzimu yaidavirwa kuva inodzungaira munyika.”—The Tampa Tribune.
Pasinei hapo namavambo echihedheni aaya mazororo, vamwe vachaita chiito pamufungo wokunyima vana mufaro wemitambo yazvino uno. Pashure pokurangarira zvose, vana vanoziva vanozivei nezvaSaturn wekare, Astarte, uye Samhain? Vamwe vanoziva zvakati wandei. Vanozivawo kuti havadi rutivi rwazvo.
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Mithra
Thor
[Kwazvakatorwa]
Mithra: Musée du Louvre, Paris
Thor: The Age of Fable rakanyorwa naT. Bulfinch, 1898
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Astarte
[Kwazvakatorwa]
Skull: U.S. Forest Service photo