Igama Elisha Ledili Elidala Elonakele
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJAPANE
EBRITHANI, u-Ann oneminyaka engu-15 ubudala ngenjabulo uvula imvilophu esanda kufika nje neposi. Ukhipha ikhadi. Ngaphambili lihlotshiswé ngezinhliziyo ezikhangayo. Ngaphakathi kukhona umyalezo wothando, futhi lisayinwe ukuthi: “Livela kothile okwazisayo.” Ngamehlo omuntu ophuphayo, futhi ephenduka eba bomvana ebusweni, u-Ann uphefumulela phezulu. Ngokusobala uyabatshazwa, kodwa udidekile. ‘Ubani ongithumelele le-valentine?’ ezibuza.
EJapane, uYuko useqalile ukusebenza ehhovisi. USuku LukaValentine luyasondela. Ukubala kukaYuko kubonisa ukuthi kuzobiza u-20 000 yen (R725) ukuthengela ngamunye wabesilisa asebenza nabo ibhokisi elincane likashokoledi. UYuko uchitha isikhathi sokudla enabangane bakhe besifazane bethenga abakubiza ngokuthi i-giri-choco—oshokoledi abayisibopho.
U-February 14 usuku abantu abash’ amashushu uthando emhlabeni wonke abalindela ngalo ukutshelwa ngandlela-thile ukuthi, “Ngiyakuthanda.” Bobabili u-Ann noYuko abazi nhlobo ukuthi laqala kanjani leliholide. Kungase kubamangaze ukukuthola lokhu.
Umkhondo wemvelaphi yalokho osekubizwa ngokuthi uSuku LukaValentine usuka emuva eGreece yasendulo, lapho ukukhulekela uPan kwakuchuma khona. Lonkulunkulu wenzalo ongumuntu osambuzi wasenganekwaneni, wayenesimo sobudlwangudlwangu nesingaqondakali esasisabisa kubantu. Ngokufanelekile igama lesiNgisi elithi “panic” (ukushaywa uvalo) ngokwezwi nezwi lisho ukuthi “of Pan” (kaPan).
UPan kwakufanele aqaphe imihlambi lapho edlala imitshingo yakhe. Nokho, wayephazamiseka kalula. UPan wayethandana nonkulunkulukazi abaningi. Omunye umfanekiso oqoshiwe ubonisa uPan enza izenzo ezisikisela ubulili ku-Aphrodite, unkulunkulukazi wothando. U-Eros, unkulunkulu wothando, undiza ngaphezu kwabo—njengasemfanekisweni kaCupid otholakala eziphweni ze-valentine namuhla.a
ERoma abaningi babekhulekela unkulunkulu ofanayo obizwa ngokuthi uFaunus. Naye futhi wayeboniswa engumuntu osambuzi. Ukukhulekela uFaunus kwakuvelela kuyiLupercalia, umkhosi owonakele owawugcinwa unyaka ngamunye ngo-February 15. Phakathi nalomkhosi, amadoda agqoke izembatho ezingawumbozi wonke umzimba ayesubatha ezungeza igquma, eshwiba iziswebhu zesikhumba sembuzi. Abesifazane ababefuna ukuthola abantwana babema eduze kwendlela yalaba bagijimi. AmaRoma ayekholelwa ukuthi ukushaya owesifazane ngesiswebhu kwakuyoqinisekisa ukuthi uyothola inzalo.
Ngokwe-Catholic Encyclopedia, iLupercalia yaqedwa uPapa Gelasius I ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesihlanu C.E.b Nakuba kunjalo, namuhla sithola umkhosi ofanayo wosuku lwanamuhla uchuma obizwa ngokuthi: “USuku lukaSanta Valentine.” Kunemibono ehlukahlukene ngokuphathelene nomsuka waleligama ‘elenziwé elobuKristu.’ Ngokwenye indaba, umbusi waseRoma wekhulu lesithathu uClaudius II wenqabela izinsizwa ukuba zishade. UValentine, umpristi, washadisa imibhangqwana esemisha ngasese. Abanye bathi wabulawa ngo-February 14, cishe ngo-269 C.E. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, isiqu ‘sobusanta’ asinakuwufihla umsuka omubi walomkhosi. USuku LukaValentine luvela emikhutsheni yobuqaba futhi ngenxa yalokho alugujwa amaKristu eqiniso. (2 Korinte 6:14-18) Izindlela zokubonisa uthando lwangempela noma nini onyakeni zivuza kakhulu kunokuthatheka okudlulayo kweholide elibuswa imizwelo.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Abanye bathi uGelasius wamane wamisa “Umkhosi Wokuhlanza” esikhundleni seLupercalia.
b UHerodotus usikisela ukuthi ukukhulekela uPan kwabangelwa abaseGibithe, ukukhulekela imbuzi okwakuvamile kubo. Amazwi athi “[amademoni anesimo sembuzi, NW]” atholakala eBhayibhelini angase abhekisele kuloluhlobo lokukhulekela kobuqaba.—Levitikusi 17:7; 2 IziKronike 11:15.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 27]
Lapho Uthando Lusho Ibhizinisi Elikhulu
UKUSONDELA koSuku LukaValentine eJapane kuvusa imizwa enamandla—hhayi nje yothando kodwa futhi yebhizinisi elikhulu. Emashumini eminyaka izimboni zikashokoledi ziye zanxusa umphakathi ukuba uphane ngoshokoledi njengophawu lothando ngo-February 14. Ukukhangisa okukhulu kuye kwaletha inzuzo njengoba ukuthengiswa kukashokoledi kwakuthuthuka kancane kancane.
Ngokungafani nasemazweni aseNtshonalanga, umkhuba waseJapane uwukuba kube abesifazane abathengela amadoda. Kodwa ibhizinisi loSuku LukaValentine alipheli ngo-February 14. Ngemva kwenyanga, ngo-March 14, amadoda kumelwe enanele—ngoshokoledi omhlophe. Ngani? I-Daily Yomiuri iyaphendula: “Ukukhethwa kwezipho ezimhlophe kuvimbela noma yimaphi amadoda ancishanayo noma anobuqili ekubuyiseni ushokoledi awuthola angaba nandaba nokuwudla.”
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]
Old-Fashioned Romantic Cuts/Dover