Imvelaphi Yekrismesi Yanamhlanje

KWIZIGIDI zabantu abasehlabathini lonke, ixesha leKrismesi iba lelona xesha livuyisayo lonyaka. Iba lixesha lezona zidlo ziluncuthu, lokwenza izithethe zaminyaka le, nexesha lokumanyana kwentsapho. Iholide yeKrismesi ikwalixesha lokuba abahlobo nezalamane zinandiphe ukuthumelelana amakhadi emibuliso kunye nokuphana izipho.

Noko ke, kwiminyaka nje eli-150 eyadlulayo, iKrismesi yayiyiholide eyahluke gqitha. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Battle for Christmas, unjingalwazi wezembali uStephen Nissenbaum ubhala athi: “IKrismesi . . . yayilixesha lokusela ngokugqithiseleyo apho imithetho eyayilawula indlela abantu abaziphatha ngayo yayilityalwa okwexeshana kuxhaswa ‘imigcobo’ engenamiqathango, iMardi Gras eyenziwa ngoDisemba.”

Kwabo bayihlonelayo iKrismesi, le nkcazelo isenokuba yephazamisayo. Ngaba yintoni enokwenza ubani ahlambele iholide ekuthiwa isisikhumbuzo sokuzalwa koNyana kaThixo? Impendulo isenokukumangalisa.

Inemvelaphi Engachananga

Ukususela ekuqaleni kwayo ngenkulungwane yesine, iKrismesi ibisoloko iyintsumantsumane. Ngokomzekelo, kwakukho imbambano ephathelele umhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu. Ekubeni iBhayibhile ingaluchazi usuku okanye inyanga yokuzalwa kukaKristu, kwaye kwacingwa ngemihla eliqela. Ngenkulungwane yesithathu, elinye iqela labefundisi baseYiputa lathi nguMeyi 20, ngoxa abanye baye balatha kwiintsuku ezingaphambili kolo, ezinjengoMatshi 28, uAprili 2, okanye uAprili 19. Ngenkulungwane ye-18, ukuzalwa kukaYesu kwakunxulunyaniswa nazo zonke iinyanga zonyaka! Ngoko ke, ekugqibeleni wakhethwa njani uDisemba 25?

Inkoliso yabaphengululi iyavuma ukuba uDisemba 25 wamiselwa yiCawa yamaKatolika njengomhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu. Ngoba? IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica, ithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba isizathu sesokuba amaKristu okuqala ayefuna olo suku lungqamane nomsitho wobuhedeni wamaRoma ‘wosuku lokuzalwa kwelanga elingoyiswayo.’” Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze amaKristu awayetshutshiswe ngenkohlakalo ngabahedeni kangangexesha elingaphezu kweenkulungwane ezimbini ezinesiqingatha ngesiquphe ayekelele kwabo babewatshutshisa?

Kwabakho Ukunganyaniseki

Kwinkulungwane yokuqala, umpostile uPawulos walumkisa uTimoti esithi “abantu abangendawo namabhedengu” babeya kungena ebandleni lobuKristu baze balahlekise abaninzi. (2 Timoti 3:13) Olu wexuko lungaka lwaqalisa emva kokufa kwabapostile. (IZenzo 20:29, 30) Emva koko kubizwa ngokuba kukuguquka kukaConstantine ngenkulungwane yesine, uninzi lwabahedeni lwathontelana kuhlobo lobuKristu olwalukho ngelo xesha. Waba yintoni umphumo? Incwadi ethi Early Christianity and Paganism ithi: “Iqela elincinane ngentelekiso lamakholwa anyanisekileyo lagqunyelelwa yindimbane yabo babezibanga bengamaKristu.”

Hayi indlela awangqineka eyinyaniso ngayo amazwi kaPawulos! Kwakungathi ubuKristu bokwenene buginywe kukunganyaniseki kwabahedeni. Yaye eyona ndawo okwakubonakala kuyo oku kudyobheka kwakukwimibhiyozo yeeholide.

Eneneni, ekuphela kombhiyozo amaKristu ayalelwa ukuba awenze siSidlo seNkosi Sangokuhlwa. (1 Korinte 11:23-26) Ngenxa yezenzo zokukrexeza ezinxulunyaniswa nemisitho yamaRoma, amaKristu okuqala ayengathabathi nxaxheba kuyo. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, abahedeni benkulungwane yesithathu bawagculela amaKristu, besithi: “Aniyityeleli imiboniso; aniyikhathalelanga imiboniso yasekuhleni; niyawagatya amatheko kawonke wonke, nize niyithiye imibhiyozo engcwele.” Kwelinye icala, abahedeni babeqhayisa besithi: “Sinqula izithixo ngovuyo, ngezidlo, ngeengoma nangemidlalo.”

Phakathi kwinkulungwane yesine, ukumbombozela kwaphela. Kwenzeka njani oko? Njengoko kwakungena oosinga-maKristu kwezo ntlanti, iingcamango zabawexuki zanda. Oku kwakhokelela ekulalaniseni kwizinto zamaRoma. Igqabaza ngoku, incwadi ethi The Paganism in Our Christianity ithi: “Yayiyinkqubo eqinisekileyo yamaKristu ukuba alawule kwimisitho yabahedeni eyayithandwa ngabantu ngenxa yokuba isisithethe, nokuyenza ibonakale iyeyobuKristu.” Ewe, uwexuko olukhulu lwalugqugqisile. Ngoku ukulungela kwabo babizwa ngokuba ngamaKristu ukwamkela imibhiyozo yabahedeni kwabangela ukuba abantu basekuhlaleni babamkele. Kungekudala, amaKristu aba nemisitho eliqela ngonyaka njengabahedeni. Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba iKrismesi iye yaba yeyona iphambili kuyo.

Iholide Yamazwe Ngamazwe

Njengoko uhlobo lwegunya lobuKristu lwanwenwela kwelaseYurophu, iKrismesi yanwenwa nalo. ICawa yamaKatolika yamkela imbono yokuba kwakufanelekile ukuba kwenziwe umsitho wovuyo wosuku lokuzalwa lukaYesu. Ekugqibeleni, ngowama-567 C.E., iBhunga LaseTours “lavakalisa ukuba iintsuku ezili-12 ukususela kumhla weKrismesi ukuya kutsho kwiEpiphany zilixesha elingcwele nelemigcobo.”—The Catholic Encyclopedia for School and Home.

Kungekudala kwiKrismesi kwafakelwa izinto ezininzi ezazivela kwimisitho yesivuno yakumantla eYurophu. Ukuzonwabisa kwaba yinto eqhelekileyo kunokunqula njengoko abo babandakanyekileyo babezifica ngokuba ngamadlakudla yaye besela ngokugqithe emgceni. Kunokuba iyigxeke ihambo evakalala, icawa yayamkela. (Thelekisa eyabaseRoma 13:13; 1 Petros 4:3.) Ngowama-601 C.E., uPopu Gregory I wabhalela uMellitus, umvangeli wakhe waseNgilani, emxelela ukuba “angayiphelisi loo misitho yobuhedeni yamandulo, kodwa ayivisisanise nezithethe zeCawa, aguqule nje isizathu sokwenziwa kwayo ukusuka kwesobuhedeni ukusa kwesobuKristu.” Ubhala atsho uArthur Weigall, owayekhe wangumphandi wezinto zakudala kurhulumente waseYiputa.

Ebudeni bamaXesha Aphakathi, abo babeneengcamango zohlaziyo bavakalelwa kukuba kukho imfuneko yokukugxeka oko kuzifica. Bathumela imithetho emininzi ngokuphathelele “ukuxhatshazwa kolonwabo lweKrismesi.” Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Christmas in America—A History, uGqr. Penne Restad, uthi: “Abanye abefundisi bagxininisa ukuba uluntu olungafezekanga lwalufuna ixesha elithile likavula-zibhuqe nelokubaxa izinto logama nje oko kwakusenziwa egameni lobuKristu.” Oku kongeza ekudidekeni. Noko ke, oko akuzange kwenze mahluko, kuba izithethe zabahedeni zazisele zinamathele kwiKrismesi kangangokuba abantu abaninzi babengenamdla wakuziyeka. Umbhali uTristram Coffin ukubeka ngale ndlela: “Abantu abaninzi [babesenza] kanye oko babeqhele ukukwenza yaye benganikeli ngqalelo ingako kumabango abo babexhalabele indlela yokuziphatha.”

Xa abantu baseYurophu baqalisa ukuma kwiLizwe Elitsha, iKrismesi yayiyiholide eyaziwayo. Sekunjalo, iKrismesi ayizange yamkelwe kwamanye amathanga. Abo balandela imithetho ngokungqongqo bawugqala lo mbhiyozo njengowobuhedeni baze bawubhangisa eMassachusetts phakathi kowe-1659 nowe-1681.

Emva kokupheliswa kokubhangiswa kwayo, ukubhiyozela iKrismesi kwanda kuwo onke amathanga, ngokungakumbi kumazantsi weNew England. Noko ke, ngenxa yembali yale holide, akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba abathile babexhalabele ngakumbi ukuzonwabisa kunokuhlonela uNyana kaThixo. Esinye isithethe seKrismesi esasiphazamisa gqitha seso sokuzintyintya ngotywala. Iqela labafana abandlongondlongo lalidla ngokungena kumakhaya abamelwane abazizityebi lifuna ukutya neziselo ngenkani. Ukuba umninimzi uyala, ngokuqhelekileyo wayedla ngokuthukwa, yaye ngezinye izihlandlo indlu yakhe yayihlaselwa.

UNjingalwazi Nissenbaum uthi malunga neyee-1820 iimeko zazimandundu kangangokuba “eso siphithiphithi seKrismesi” saba “sisisongelo esikhulu ekuhlaleni.” Kwizixeko ezinjengeNew York nePhiladelphia, abahlali balapho abazizityebi baqalisa ukuqesha abantu ukuze balinde izakhiwo zabo. Kude kuthiwe isiXeko saseNew York sade senza ilungiselelo lokuqala lamapolisa aqeqeshiweyo ngenxa yoqhankqalazo olwalunogonyamelo ebudeni bexesha leKrismesi ngowe-1827 okanye ngowe-1828!

IKrismesi Entsha

Inkulungwane ye-19 yazisa iinguqulelo ezingenakuthelekiswa nanto eluntwini. Abantu, iimpahla neendaba zaqalisa ukuhamba ngokukhawuleza njengoko kwakusenziwa iindlela neendlela zikaloliwe ezininzi. Inguqulelo kwezoshishino yavelisa izigidi zemisebenzi, yaye imizi-mveliso yavelisa impahla ethengiswayo nethengwayo ngokukhawuleza. Inkqubo yemveliso nayo yavelisa iingxaki zasekuhlaleni ezintsha nezintsonkothileyo, ekugqibeleni eziye zayichaphazela indlela ebibhiyozelwa ngayo iKrismesi.

Kudala abantu besebenzisa iiholide njengendlela yokomeleza amaqhina entsapho, ibe kunjalo nangeKrismesi. Ngokuphucula ezinye zezithethe zeKrismesi, abo babeyikhuthaza bayiguqula ngokunempumelelo iKrismesi yayeka ukuba ngumsitho kavula-zibhuqe nowemigcobo yaba yiholide yentsapho.

Eneneni, ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, iKrismesi yaye yajongwa njengeyeza leengxaki zobomi baseMerika. UGqr. Restad, uthi: “Kuzo zonke iiholide, iKrismesi yayisesona sixhobo sigqibeleleyo sokungenisa unqulo neemvakalelo zonqulo ekhaya nokulungisa ukuzifica kwezinto neentsilelo zehlabathi.” Wongezelela athi: “Ukuphana izipho, ukubonakalisa isisa, kwanemibuliso yeholide nokuhonjiswa nokubuka umthi oluhlaza obekwe kwigumbi elikhethekileyo lokwamkela iindwendwe okanye, kamva, kwiholo yesikolo sangeCawa, kwakuwamanyanisa amalungu entsapho ecaweni, nakwibutho labantu.”

Kwangendlela efanayo, abaninzi namhlanje babhiyozela iKrismesi njengendlela yokuqinisa uthando lwabo lomnye ngomnye nokunceda komelezwe amaqhina entsapho. Noko ke, enye into engamele ibethwe ngoyaba, ziinkalo ezingokomoya. Izigidi zabantu zibhiyozela iKrismesi kuba zihlonela ukuzalwa kukaYesu. Zisenokuya kwiinkonzo ezikhethekileyo zecawa, zize zibeke imifanekiso yokuzalwa ekhaya, okanye zenze umthandazo zibulela kuYesu. Kodwa uThixo uwujonga njani lo mbandela? Ngaba ezi zinto ziyamkholisa? Khawuqwalasele oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile.

“Thanda Inyaniso Noxolo”

Ngoxa uYesu wayesemhlabeni, wabaxelela oku abalandeli bakhe: “UThixo unguMoya, nabo bamnqulayo bamele banqule ngomoya nenyaniso.” (Yohane 4:24) UYesu wayephila ngokuvisisana naloo mazwi. Wayesoloko ethetha inyaniso. Wamxelisa ngokugqibeleleyo uYise, ‘uYehova uThixo wenyaniso.’—INdumiso 31:5; Yohane 14:9.

EBhayibhileni, uYehova uyibeke yacaca into yokuba uzithiyile zonke iindlela zokuqhatha. (INdumiso 5:6) Ngenxa yoku, ngaba ayimangalisi into yokuba izinto eziliqela ezinxulunyaniswa neKrismesi zinemvelaphi yobuxoki? Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngentsomi engoSanta Claus. Ngaba wakha wazama ukucacisela umntwana ukuba kutheni uSanta ekhetha ukungena ngetshimini endaweni yokungena emnyango, njengoko kumazwe amaninzi bekholelwa njalo? Yaye uSanta ukwazi njani ukutyelela amakhaya azizigidi ezingaka ngobusuku nje obunye? Kuthekani ngexhama elibhabhayo elitsala inqwelo? Xa umntwana efumanisa ukuba uye waqhathwa ngokuba akholelwe ukuba uSanta ngumntu wokwenene, ngaba akumenzi angabathembi abazali bakhe?

IThe Catholic Encyclopedia ngokucacileyo ithi: “Izithethe zobuhedeni . . . zanwenwela kwiKrismesi.” Ngoko kutheni iCawa yamaKatolika nezinye iicawa zeNgqobhoko ziqhubeka zibhiyozela le holide inezithethe ezingenayo imvelaphi yobuKristu? Ngaba oko akubonisi ukukhuthaza imfundiso yobuhedeni?

Ngoxa wayesemhlabeni uYesu akazange akhuthaze abantu ukuba bamkhonze. UYesu wathi: “NguYehova uThixo wakho omele umnqule, yaye kukuye yedwa omele unikele inkonzo engcwele.” (Mateyu 4:10) Ngokufanayo, emva kokuzukiswa kukaYesu ezulwini, isithunywa sezulu saxelela umpostile uYohane ukuba ‘anqule uThixo,’ kubonisa ukuba akukho nto itshintshileyo ngokuphathelele lo mbandela. (ISityhilelo 19:10) Oku kukhokelela kumbuzo othi, Ngaba uYesu ebeya kukholiswa lulo lonke uzinikelo lonqulo olujoliswe kuye, kungekhona uYise, ngexesha leKrismesi?

Licacile elokuba, izibakala eziphathelele iKrismesi yanamhlanje aziyithetheleli kwaphela. Yiholide nje eyiliweyo enobungqina obaneleyo obalatha kwimbali eyonakeleyo. Ngoko ke, ngesazela esimsulwa, izigidi zamaKristu ziye zagqiba kwelokuba zingayibhiyozeli iKrismesi. Ngokomzekelo, oselula ogama linguRyan uthetha enjenje ngokuphathelele iKrismesi: “Abantu baye bonwabe gqitha kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ngonyaka xa intsapho idibene yaye yonwabe yonke. Kodwa yintoni ekhethekileyo kuloo nto? Abazali bam bayandipha izipho nangaliphi na ixesha lonyaka!” Omnye oselula, oneminyaka eli-12 ubudala uthi: “Andiziva ndibandezwa nto. Ndiyazifumana izipho ebudeni bonyaka, kungekhona nje ngemini ekhethekileyo xa abantu beziva benyanzelekile ukuba bathenge izipho.”

Umprofeti uZekariya wakhuthaza amaSirayeli ukuba ‘athande inyaniso noxolo.’ (Zekariya 8:19) Ukuba, thina njengoZekariya namanye amadoda athembekileyo akudala, ‘siyayithanda inyaniso,’ ngaba asifanele siwuphephe nawuphi na umbhiyozo ogculela ‘uThixo ophilayo noyinyaniso,’ uYehova?—1 Tesalonika 1:9.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

“Andiziva ndibandezwa nto. Ndiyazifumana izipho ebudeni bonyaka”