Ithetha Ntoni I-Ista Kuwe?

KUNGOKUHLWA nge-8:​30. Ebumnyameni kwicawa eneminyaka engama-300 ikho kummandla osemntla Afrika, abadikoni abanokuba ngama-20 abanxibe iingubo ezimhlophe bayacula yaye babetha amagubu abo. Kwizitya zeziqhumiso kuphuma ivumba lentlaka yokuqhumisa. Ngoku kulo mbhiyozo kungenelela iqela labefundisi, lifunda iBhayibhile ngesiGeez, ulwimi lwamandulo lwasenkonzweni. Abanquli babek’ iindlebe. Libathwana kuphela kwabakhoyo abawaqondayo loo mazwi. Le nkonzo iyaqhubeka kude kube yintsimbi yesithathu ekuseni.

KwisiXeko saseVatican upopu uqhuba iDini leMisa elikhethekileyo. Kule ntlanganiso ingaqhelekanga kukho iqumrhu elipheleleyo loonozakuzaku baseVatican, namakhulukhulu eekhadinali, oobhishopu, abefundisi noonongendi namawakawaka abakhenkethi ngezonqulo.

Ngaphesheya kweAtlantiki, kwisiXeko saseNew York, amapolisa abeke imiqobo yokuthintela izithuthi ukuba zingangeni kwisitalato iFifth Avenue esinomtsalane. Ungcelele lwabemi baseNew York abanxibe ezingayiwayo iimpahla​—⁠amadoda athwele iminqwazi emide nemithika yaye amabhinqa atsho ngeminqwazi eqaqambileyo⁠—​luhla ngokuthe ngcembe kweso sitalato luchwayite ngokuphawulekayo.

Sisihlandlo santoni esi? Kubhiyozelwa i-Ista. Kulo lonke ihlabathi, kukho abantu ababambelele ngokuqinileyo kulo mbhiyozo wonqulo. Bambi baye bawubiza ngokuba ngukumkanikazi wemibhiyozo nokuthi yifestum festorum​—⁠ibinzana lesiLatini elithetha “umsitho wemisitho.”

Ibaluleke Kangakanani Kuwe?

Wena ucinga ntoni ngeIsta? Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokubhiyozelwa kwayo? Abaninzi abasazi. Uphando olwenziwa eBritani lwatyhila ukuba umntu omnye kwabathathu baseBritani akasazi isizathu sokubhiyozelwa kweIsta. Sekunjalo, eBritani, kwanakwinkoliso yamanye amazwe ehlabathini, i-Ista isengowona mbhiyozo ubalulekileyo wonqulo lweNgqobhoko.

Ngokutsho kweThe New Encyclopædia Britannica, i-Ista “ngumbhiyozo oyintloko kuNyaka WeCawa WamaKristu, wokubhiyozela ukuVuka kukaYesu Kristu ngosuku lwesithathu emva kokuBethelelwa kwakhe.” Incwadi ethi Easter​—⁠Its Story and Meaning ichaza ukuba i-Ista “ngowona msitho mkhulu kuNyaka WamaKristu, obhiyozelwa ngemincili, ngenxa yokuba unikela ithemba lovuko olunjalo kubo bonke abalwamkeleyo uKholo lukaKristu.” Ngaba ukubhiyozela i-Ista ukugqala nzulu ngolo hlobo? Ngaba ngokwenene ukholelwa ukuba i-Ista inento yokwenza namathemba akho obomi kwikamva?

Abaninzi abayigqali i-Ista ngentlonelo enjalo. Ligqabaza ngorhwebo lwangeIsta, elinye iphephandaba layibiza ngokuthi “Elona Bali Libalaseleyo Lakha Lathengiswa.” Longezelela oku: “Abenzi bezinto zokudlala bathi, i-Ista, eyona holide ibalulekileyo yobuKristu, iye yaba yiholide yesibini kwezinkulu zokuphana izipho.” Kakade ke, eyona inkulu yiKrismesi, ibe wambi amagosa ecawa avakalelwa kukuba ukwenziwa kweIsta into engeyoyalunqulo kuye kwalandela ekhondweni lokwenziwa kweKrismesi into engeyoyalunqulo.

Ngokomzekelo, ngexesha leIsta yowe-1989, abenzi beelekese eUnited States bazilungiselela ukuthengisa kakhulu gqitha kangangamawaka asisi-R2,2 sezigidi. Lixesha lesibini kwawona maxesha aphambili okuthengwa kweelekese eUnited States emva kweKrismesi. Enye inkampani ivelisa iintlobo ezingaphezu kwekhulu zeelekese ezenziwe okwemivundla yeIsta.

Ngokutsho kweThe Detroit News, uJack Santino, unjingalwazi wamasiko nezithethe ezithandwayo kwiBowling Green State University eOhio, wavuma ukuba ukwenziwa kweIsta into engeyoyalunqulo ‘“kuluphawu” lwebutho labantu lanamhlanje elithe phithi-thwanga kukuthenga nokuthengisa iimveliso.’ Eli phephandaba longezelela ukuba ‘umvundla weIsta​—⁠ingelulo uvuko⁠—​uye waba yeyona nto iphambili ngeIsta.’

Yenye Nje Iholide

KumNtla weIkhweyita, i-Ista iphawula ukuqalisa kwentwasahlobo ibe ngokuqhelekileyo ikhatshwa kukuvalwa kwezikolo neekholeji kangangeveki. Ngoko apho kunokwenzeka, abantu abaninzi abaselula bagxalathelana kwiindawo zokuzonwabisa ezifudumeleyo ukuze babe namatheko amakhulu ngaselunxwemeni. Bambi baligqala ixesha leIsta njengento yokubhiyozela ukuphela kwexesha lokutyibiliza ekhephini​—⁠ithuba labo lokugqibela lokunandipha ukudlala emkhenkceni.

ENorway, apho phantse ama-88 ekhulwini abemi engabecawa yaseburhulumenteni yobuVangeli BamaLuthere, kuphela li-14 ekhulwini labo kuye kutshanje kwenziwa uphando kubo elathi licinga ukuba liya ecaweni ngeIsta. Abamalunga nama-75 ekhulwini bavuma ukuba abasayigqali i-Ista njengeholide yonqulo. Kunokuba benjenjalo bathi bakhetha ukuya kutyibiliza ekhephini.

Kwabaninzi, yimbi yemifuziselo ebalulekileyo yeIsta iye yaba yimifuziselo yolonwabo nemidlalo. Ngokomzekelo, iqanda mhlawumbi lingowona mfuziselo uqhelekileyo weIsta kumazwe amaninzi. Umfuziselo weqanda ungowonqulo gqitha. Kucingelwa ukuba, ukuvuka kukaYesu Kristu kufanekiselwa bubomi obutsha obuvela kwiqanda elibonakala lingenabomi. Ngenxa yoko, isiko lokuhombisa amaqanda ngemibala eqaqambileyo liyinkalo ebalulekileyo yombhiyozo weIsta.

Kodwa kwabanye, eyona mbaluleka yeqanda leIsta kukonwabisa abantwana. Kwenye idolophu umdlalo oqhelekileyo wabantwana wangeIsta wokufuna amaqanda afihlwe ngabanye kwicawa yasekuhlaleni uphelela sekusiliwa ngamaqanda! URobert J. Myers kwincwadi yakhe ethi Celebrations uthi, “Ebantwaneni, i-Ista ithetha ulonwabo, izothuso, yaye mhlawumbi ukuba neelekese ezaneleyo de kufike ixesha leHalloween!”

Xa kuthethwa kuthiwa, i-Ista isabambe esona sikhundla siphakamileyo kwiiholide zonqulo zeNgqobhoko. Noko ke, ngezenzo kubonakala ukuba abantu abangakumbi nangakumbi bayigqala njengengabalulekanga kangako, njengayo nayiphi na enye iholide. Kuthekani ngawe? Ithetha ntoni i-Ista kuwe? Noko ke, ngaphambi kokuba uwuphendule lo mbuzo, ngaba akufanele uqale ngokubuza oku: ‘Ithetha ntoni i-Ista kuThixo? Ngaba lo mbhiyozo uyamkholisa? Ngaba amaKristu afanele ngokwenene ayibhiyozele i-Ista?’

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 4]

Imifuziselo yeIsta iye yayimifuziselo yolonwabo nemidlalo