UKhisimusi—Abaningi Babona Injabulo, Hhayi Ingozi
“KUBONAKALA kunomlingo kulona kanye igama likaKhisimusi,” kubhala uCharles Dickens osemusha. “Umhawu nokungezwani kuyakhohleka . . . Sengathi lowoKhisimusi ungahlala unyaka wonke.” Kubonakala sengathi uDickens wathola injabulo enkulu kuKhisimusi, futhi wayitshela izigidi ngezincwadi ezinjengethi A Christmas Carol. Ngosuku olwandulela uKhisimusi, lencwadi isafundwa ngokuzwakalayo emikhayeni (uMongameli wangaphambili waseU.S. uFranklin Roosevelt kubikwa ukuthi wawulandela lomkhuba). Lapho uCharles Dickens efa, omusha wamemeza: “UDickens ufile? Khona-ke ingabe noBab’ uKhisimusi uzokufa?” Kodwa uBab’ uKhisimusi, noma uSanta Claus, usaphila kakhulu ezingqondweni nasezinhliziyweni zabantwana abaningi.
Futhi abantwana ababodwa ekubhekeni lokhukugujwa njengenjabulo, hhayi ingozi. Umuntu waseAustralia onethonya wathinteka ngalokho akubona ngefasitela elivuliwe ngosuku olwandulela uKhisimusi, ngo-1937. Umsakazo wawuculela phansi, futhi laphaya kwakuhleli isalukazi, siphethe ikhandlela, silalele amahubo okuthokoza. NgoKhisimusi olandelayo wahlela umbuthano omkhulu wangaphandle obizwa ngokuthi “Amahubo okuthokoza ngokukhanya kwamakhandlela.” Wawufanelana kahle nokuhlwa kwehlobo laseAustralia, futhi ukuthandeka kwawo kwasakazeka ngokushesha. Namuhla, kulo lonke lelozwe, abantu bayabuthana, bakhanyise amakhandlela futhi bacule amahubo okuthokoza.
UFrancis waseAssisi wayengumpetha wangempela ngomkhosi kaKhisimusi. Ngo-1224 waqhuba inkonzo kaKhisimusi emkhombeni wangempela onenkabi ephilayo nembongolo, kwajabula abantu abaningi bedolobha. Ngokushesha isigcawu sasemkhombeni sathandeka, futhi ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi sisenziwa emakhaya amaningi amaKatolika nasemasontweni. IAracoeli, isonto eliseRoma, linomfanekiso womkhombe nomntwana ogqokiswe igolide namatshe ayigugu. Abesifazane baletha abantababo ukuba bazodumisa ‘lolusana olungcwele.’ Eceleni kwalesithombe kunenqwaba yezincwadi ezivela kulo lonke izwe zicela usizo nezimangaliso.
ENgilandi, iNkosana uAlbert (umJalimane) nomkayo, iNdlovukazi uVictoria, benza isihlahla sikaKhisimusi sathandeka ngokusisebenzisa ekugubheni kwabo uKhisimusi wango-1841. Ngokushesha iWeihnachtsbaum yaseJalimane yathandeka kakhulu phakathi kwabaseBrithani. Kamuva, abefundisi ababili baseAnglican basikisela ukuba kusetshenziswe isihlahla sikaKhisimusi nomkhombe eNdlini Yesonto kaSt. Paul, eLondon. Lokhu kwaphikiswa, ngakho iNkosi uGeorge V yacelwa ukuba inikeze iNdlu Yesonto izihlahla ezimbili, eyakwenza. Kusukela lapho, umkhombe nezihlahla kuye kwaba yingxenye yesigcawu sikaDecember lapho, futhi amanye amasonto amaProtestani nawo asebenzisa lezozifanekiselo.
Imikhuba kaKhisimusi ingase yehluke emazweni ahlukene, nokho ithonya likaKhisimusi, njengezibani nezihlahla ezingawohloki, imikhombe namahubo okuthokoza, imicimbi nezipho, lingokuthile abaningi abakuthola kungenakuvinjelwa. “Ukhona yini umntwana uSuku lukaKhisimusi olungelona olukhulu kunazo zonke kuyena kuwo wonke unyaka?” kubuza isazimlando uPimlott. Kodwa uma uKhisimusi ubonakala ujabulisa kangaka kwabaningi, kungani kuvezwa umqondo wengozi kulengxoxo? Iqiniso liwukuthi, isiqalo sangempela sikaKhisimusi siyaphazamisa futhi imiphumela yawo ingaba yingozi. Kanjani?