“Usuku LweNgcwele UNicholas”—Lwaluvela Phi?

HAMBA kwizitrato zaseBelgium ebutsheni bukaDisemba, ibe uya kubona umbono ongaqhelekanga; amaqela amancinane abantwana behamba kwindlu ngendlu, bevuma iingonyana ezimfutshane ezibizwa ngokuba “ziingoma zeNgcwele uNicholas.” Abanini-mzi bayasabela kolu lutsha lunomtsalane ngokuthi baluvuze ngeziqhamo, iilekese, okanye imali.

Sisiphi esi sihlandlo? “Lusuku lweNgcwele uNicholas”! EUnited States nakwamanye amazwe, “INgcwele uNicholas,” okanye “uSanta Claus,” unento yokwenza nosuku lweKrismesi. Kodwa eBelgium “ingcwele” enerhwanqa inosuku olulolwayo. Enyanisweni, “iNgcwele uNicholas” (uSinterklaas, okanye uSint Nicolaas), osuku lwakhe lokubhiyozelwa luba ngomhla wesithandathu kuDisemba, ungomnye wezona “ngcwele” zibalaseleyo eBelgium naseNetherlands. Iicawa ezininzi, izindlu zenkonzo, izitrato, okanye izindlu zokuhlala ziye zathiywa ngaye. Ngokwesithethe waziwa ngokuba “ngumhlobo omkhulu” wabantwana othi ngokuvumayo abaphe izipho ngosuku lwakhe lwesidlo.

Kwingokuhlwa engaphambi kwaloo holide, abantwana abaselula babeka esinye sezihlangu okanye iimbadada zabo kufutshane netshimini ngoxa bevuma iingonyana zabo. Baye bachazelwa ukuba “iNgcwele” uNicholas kunye nesicaka sakhe esimnyama (esibizwa ngokuba nguBlack Peter) uya kufika ngobo busuku ehamba ngenqanawa yomphunga esuka eSpeyin. Emva koko, ‘ingcwele’ iya kukhwela ihashe layo elingwevu inqumla phezu kwamaphahla ezindlu, ihamba noBlack Peter, ophatha intonga kwakunye nengxowa enkulu enezinto zokudlala neelekese. UNicholas ukwabaphathela ama-apile, amandongomane, nezinye izinto ezilinywayo. Ngokufuthi ubashiyela uhlobo oluthile lwamaqebengwana amdaka aqholiweyo abizwa ngokuba ziispeculaas, okanye amaqebengwana kabhishopu, abhakwa ngendlela ekhethekileyo, aza ayilwa ngendlela yobulumko.

Ngoobani abanikwa ezi zinto? Ngabantwana abaye baba ngabalungileyo ebudeni bonyaka odluleyo. Noko ke, abantwana abangenantlonelo bacingelwa ukuba baya kufumana isohlwayo; okanye okubi ngakumbi, basenokufakwa kwingxowa kaBlack Peter kuze kumkiwe nabo! Ngoko ke, kuyaqondakala ukuba abantwana banolangazelelo lokuthomalalisa ezi ndwendwe ziza ngobusuku. Ngaloo ndlela, igilasi yesiselo esinxilisayo sibekelwa “ingcwele,” yaye iminqathe okanye iityubhu ezimbalwa zeswekile zibekelwa ihashe lakhe.

Abazali abaninzi eBelgium balugqala “uSuku lweNgcwele uNicholas” njengelona xesha lonyaka livuyisayo. Bayakuvuyela ukujonga ubuso babantwana babo obuzalizwe lithemba benolangazelelo lokufuna ukwazi oko bakuphathelwe ‘yingcwele elungileyo’! Ngoko ke badlulisela ezi ntsomi kubantwana babo, bengayazi nemvelaphi yala masiko. Ukuba babesazi, mhlawumbi babeya kothuka.

“INgcwele” UNicholas No-Odin

IOosthoeks Encyclopedia icacisa isithi: “Ukubhiyozelwa [kweNgcwele uNicholas] emakhayeni kwavela kwimisitho yecawa (kuquka neendlela zokonwatyiswa kwabantwana) eyathi nayo yavela kwizinto ezazisenziwa ngaphambi kobuKristu. INgcwele uNicholas, ekhwele phezu kwezindlu, isisithixo sabahedeni uWodan [Odin]. . . . Ingcwele uNicholas yayikwayinkokeli yephulo apho imiphefumlo yabafileyo ithi ityelele umhlaba.”

Ewe, abantu baseJamani babekholelwa ukuba uOdin okanye uWodan, owayenguthixo wabo omkhulu, wakhokela imiphefumlo yabafileyo ekuphaliseni amahashe kucandwa ilizwe ebudeni “beentsuku ezilishumi elinesibini ezimbi” phakathi kweKrismesi neNtlaluko (umsitho wokuvela kweNkosi) obakho [ngoJanuwari 6]. Umoya omkhulu obangelwa koko uthwala imbewu yemveliso yamasimi, lukhuthaza ukuchuma. Kuthekani ngama-apile, amandongomane, nenye imveliso yasekwindla ethi inikezelwe “ngoSuku lweNgcwele uNicholas”? Ezi zaziyimiqondiso yokuchuma. Abantu bamandulo babekholelwa ukuba babenako ukuthomalalisa oothixo babo ngokubanika izipho ebudeni beentsuku zobusika eziqhaqhazelisa amazinyo. Oku kwakuya kubangela abantu nezilwanyana bazale bande, umhlaba uvelise indyebo kube yiloo nto.

UOdin wayephelekwa sisicaka sakhe uEckhard, owayengumanduleli kaBlack Peter, owayekwaphethe intonga. Kutshanje kumaXesha Aphakathi kwakuyinkolo eqhelekileyo ukuthi imithi nezityalo ezithile zazinako ukwenza abantu bazale yaye ngokubetha nje umfazi ngesebe lomthi onjalo kwakwanele ukumenza akhulelwe.

Incwadi ethi Feest-en Vierdagen in kerk en volksgebruik (iiHolide Nemibhiyozo YaseCaweni Nakumasiko Athandwayo) ikhankanya ukufana okuthile phakathi ko-Odin “neNgcwele” uNicholas isithi: “UWodan, naye, wazalisa izihlangu ezide nezihlangu ezenziwe ngomthi ezazibekwa ngakwitshimini ngegolide. Ukwenzela ihashe likaWodan, ifula neendiza nazo zazibekwa kwisihlangu somthi. Isithungu sokugqibela sentsimi naso sasibekelwa ihashe.”

Incwadi ethi Sint Nicolaas, ebhalwe nguB. S. P. van den Aardweg, yalatha kwezinye iimfano ezimbalwa ezinomtsalane isithi:

“INgcwele uNicholas: lufafa olude, umfo onamandla okhwele ihashe elimhlophe. Unentshebe ende emhlophe, ophethe intonga kaBhishopu esandleni sakhe, nomnqwazi omde kaBhishopu entlokweni yakhe . . . erhuqisa ingubo enkulu yokwaleka kaBhishopu.

“UWodan: umfo osukileyo egadeni unentshebe emhlophe. Uthwele umnqwazi onomphetho omkhulu otsalwe waza kuma ngamehlo. Esandleni sakhe uphethe intshuntshe yomlingo. Unxibe idyasi enkulu engenamikhono yaye ukhwele ihashe lakhe elithembekileyo elingwevu uSleipnir.

“Kukho izinto ezingakumbi ezicacileyo abafana ngazo: UWodan ukhwele ihashe lakhe elingwevu elihamba emoyeni yaye abantu abangcangcazelayo banikwa amaqebengwana ahlohliweyo ukongezelela kwinyama nemveliso yasemasimini. INgcwele uNicholas iphalisa phezu kwamaphahla ezindlu yaye abantwana balungiselela ifula, iminqathe, namanzi ukwenzela ihashe lakhe. Amaqebengwana anejinja nentonga zaziyimiqondiso yokuchuma kude kudala ngaphambi kokuqalisa kwemisitho yeNgcwele uNicholas.”

Izithethe Zale Mihla Zokuchuma

Ezinye izithethe eziliqela ezinxulumene ‘neNgcwele’ uNicholas ngokufanayo zibonisa imvelaphi yazo yobuhedeni. Ngokomzekelo, kumazwe asemntla ngoDisemba 4 amakhwenkwe aselula ane-12 ukuya kwi-18 leminyaka ubudala abonakala ezitratweni. Efake isinxibo esingaqhelekanga nesihonjiswe ngeentsiba, ngamaqokobhe, nangezinye iimveliso zommandla la makhwenkwe afake ezi zinto amela “iiNgcwele ezingooNicholas abancinane,” okanye ooSunne Klaezjen. Ebudeni bengokuhlwa yosuku olulandelayo, amadoda akwi-18 nangaphezulu ubudala angenela owawo umjikelo. Ngorhatya lwemivundla, ehla esenyuka ezitratweni. Besebenzisa imitshayelo, iimpondo zenyathi, namagqudu, bagxotha bonke abafazi, amantombazana, namakhwenkwe aselula adibana nawo. Amantombazana aselula anyanzelelwa ukuba angqungqe okanye axhumaxhume phezu kwentonga.

Iyintoni injongo yako konke oku? Kwakhona yayikukuchuma—ingcamango ehlala ihleli yezithethe zamandulo. Ubusika babulixesha elibi nelixhalabisayo, yaye ngokufuthi babujongwa njengexesha lokulala okanye lokufa kwalo thixo wokuchuma. Kwakucingelwa ukuba ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo loo thixo okanye uthixokazi wayenokunikwa ubomi obutsha, okanye kucingelwa ukuba ubuncinane uthixo okanye uthixokazi wayenokunikwa uncedo oluthile. Izipho, imingqungqo, ingxolo, nokubethwa ngentonga yokuchuma—zonke ezi zinto zazijongwa njengendlela yokugxotha imimoya engendawo nokuze kukhuliswe ukuchuma ebantwini, kwizilwanyana, nasemhlabeni.

Ngoko ke xa amantombazana etsiba intonga, alinganisa ookhokho bawo ababekholelwa ukuba umkhamo ababexhuma ngawo wawuya kuba ngumkhamo esasiya kuthi sikhule ngawo isityalo ekuthiwa yiflakisi. Ngokugxotha abafazi nabantwana, abafana kwakhona baphumeza isithethe sokugxotha imimoya engendawo.

Isigqibo Sabanquli Bokwenyaniso

Kwakutheni ukuze izithethe ezinjalo zibe yinxalenye yoko kufane kubizwe ngokuba bubuKristu? Kungenxa yokuba kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo, abavangeli becawa abazange bazingise ekubeni amaguquka awo alandele umyalelo ongokweZibhalo othi: “Phumani phakathi kwabo, nizahlule . . . nento engcolileyo ningayichukumisi.” (2 Korinte 6:17) Kunokuba baphelise uqheliselo lobuhedeni, abavangeli beNgqobhoko ngokwenene bawagcina la masiko ngokuthi bawalungise apha naphaya nokuze bawasebenzise. Andula ke loo masiko anwenwela kulo lonke ihlabathi.

AmaDatshi awayengabemi kuMntla Merika ahamba nawo umbhiyozo ‘weNgcwele’ uNicholas. Ekuhambeni kwexesha eli gama laguqulwa laba ngu “Santa Claus.” UBhishopu ondilisekileyo waguqulelwa ekubeni abe ngumfo othile onezidlele ezibomvu, otyebileyo nonxibe isuti ebomvu krwe. Umnqwazi omde kaBhishopu wathatyathelwa indawo ngomnqwazi kathikoloshe ibe ihashe elimhlophe lathatyathelwa indawo sisileyi esirhuqwa sisilwanyana esibizwa ngokuba yireindeer. Noko ke, uSanta Claus, waqhubeka engumntu ophisa ngezipho, nangona ixesha lokutyelela kwakhe yaba yingokuhlwa engaphambi kweKrismesi.

Kwimimandla yamaProtestanti eJamani, “iNgcwele” uNicholas yamaKatolika yathatyathelwa indawo ‘nguFather Christmas’ owamkeleke ngakumbi. Noko ke, izinto zobuhedeni zisaqhubeka ngokucacileyo kude kube ngulo mhla.

UYesu Kristu wathi “abanquli abayinyaniso baya kumnqula uBawo ngomoya nangenyaniso.” (Yohane 4:23) Kubanquli abanyanisekileyo, amasiko ‘eNgcwele’ uNicholas azisa ucelomngeni lokwenene: Ngaba aba banquli bokwenyaniso baya kuqhubeka begcina uqheliselo lwamandulo lokunqulwa kukaOdin, okanye ngaba baya kuzahlukanisa nezithethe zobuhedeni? Eli lixesha elihle lonyaka lokucinga ngalo mbuzo ubalulekileyo.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

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