Iqiniso Ngemikhosi Ethandwayo

ABATHAKATHI nezipoki, amathanga namakloba omlilo, ukucela uswidi noma ukwenza umgilingwane. Kulula kakhulu ukubona izimpawu zangaphandle ze-Halloween. Kodwa siyini isizinda salo mkhosi neminye efana nawo? I-Halloween iye yabizwa nangokuthi i-All Hallows’ Eve, usuku lwangaphambi koSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta. Kodwa leli gama okuthiwa elobuKristu lifihle imisuka engengcwele neze. Eqinisweni, izazi zithi imisuka ye-Halloween ihlehlela esikhathini eside ngaphambi kobuKristu—enkathini lapho amaCelt asendulo ayehlala eBrithani nase-Ireland. Esebenzisa ikhalenda lezinyanga, amaCelt ayehlukanisa unyaka ube nezinkathi ezimbili—izinyanga ezimnyama zasebusika nezinyanga ezikhanyayo zasehlobo. Lapho inyanga igcwele uma sekusondele u-November 1, amaCelt ayegubha umkhosi weSamhain, okusho “Ukuphela Kwehlobo.”a

Lo mkhosi, owawuphawula ukuqala konyaka omusha wamaCelt, wawufika ekupheleni kwehlobo, lapho sekuvuniwe futhi imihlambi isibuyisiwe emadlelweni yavalelwa ezibayeni. AmaCelt ayekholelwa ukuthi njengoba izinsuku ziba zimfushane, kwakudingeka kuvuselelwe ilanga ngemicikilisho nemihlatshelo ehlukahlukene. Njengomfuziselo wokuphela konyaka omdala, kwakucishwa yonke imililo, futhi unyaka omusha wawuvulwa ngamakloba angcwele lapho wonke amalungu omphakathi ayokhela khona ukuze abase emizini yawo. La makloba omlilo—umfuziselo wawo ongatholakala namuhla eBrithani eMkhosini kaGuy Fawkes kanye naseBrazil phakathi nemikhosi yango-June—kwakucatshangwa nokuthi axosha imimoya emibi.

Kwakunenkolelo yokuthi ngomkhosi weSamhain, umngcele phakathi kokuphila kwabantu benyama nokuphila okungaphezu kwemvelo uyavuleka bese imimoya, elungile nemibi, izula emhlabeni. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi imimoya yabafile ibuyela emakhaya, futhi imikhaya yayibekela izivakashi zayo eziyizipoki ukudla neziphuzo ngethemba lokushweleza kuyo igweme amabhadi. Ngakho namuhla lapho izingane ezigqoke njengezipoki noma abathakathi zihamba indlu ngendlu zifuna uswidi we-Halloween noma zisongela ngokudala umonakalo, ngokungazi ziqhubekisela phambili imicikilisho yasendulo yeSamhain. Encwadini yakhe ethi Halloween, histoire et traditions (I-Halloween—Umlando Namasiko), uJean Markale uthi: “Ngokwamukela uswidi ezandleni zazo, [izingane] zakha ubudlelwane phakathi kwezwe elibonakalayo nelingabonakali, ngendlela engokomfuziselo ezingayiqondi. Yingakho imicikilisho ye-Halloween . . . empeleni iyimikhosi engcwele.”

Njengoba abantu babekholelwa ukuthi imingcele ephakathi kwezwe elingokoqobo nelingaphezu kwemvelo yayisusiwe, babecabanga ukuthi abantu babekwazi ukungena ezweni lemimoya kalula. Ngakho-ke, iSamhain kwakuyisikhathi esihle kakhulu sokudalula izimfihlakalo zekusasa. Ama-apula noma ama-hazelnut, kokubili okwakubhekwa njengemikhiqizo yezihlahla ezingcwele, kwakusetshenziselwa ukubhula ukuze kutholakale ukwaziswa okuphathelene nomshado, ukugula nokufa. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakufakwa ama-apula aphawuliwe emanzini. Ngokubamba i-apula ngamazinyo, kwakuthiwa insizwa noma intombi iyakwazi ukukhomba umuntu ezoshada naye esikhathini esizayo. Lo mkhuba wokubhula usekhona nanamuhla emdlalweni we-Halloween wokubamba ama-apula ngamazinyo.

ISamhain yayiphawuleka nangokuxokozela nokulahlwa kokuzithiba. UMarkale uthi: “Izindinganiso ezingokwesiko zazihlanekezelwa, uma kungekhona ukuthi zazingashaywa mkhuba. Okwakunqatshelwe kwakuvunyelwa, kanti okwakuvunyelwe kwakunqatshelwa.” I-Halloween isenomoya ofanayo nanamuhla, okungangabazeki ukuthi yiwona ngokuyinhloko othuthukisa ukuthandwa kwayo ngokwandayo. Ikhuluma ngalokhu, i-Encyclopedia of Religion ichaza i-Halloween namuhla ngokuthi “isikhathi lapho abantu abadala beqa khona imingcele yesiko futhi baziyekelele ekuzitikeni ngobusuku bokuyekethisa okukhulu. Ngakho, umqondo oyisisekelo wamaCelt walo mkhosi wesikhathi sakusihlwa sokuzitika minyaka yonke uye wadlulela nasekhulwini lamashumi amabili.”

Umbango Ongokwenkolo

Ngemva kwendlala yamazambane ekhulwini le-19, abafuduki base-Ireland bahamba namasiko e-Halloween baya e-United States. Kusukela lapho, iye yavuselelwa eYurophu kule minyaka embalwa edlule. Nokho, akubona bonke abantu abakujabulelayo ukuthandwa okukhulayo kwe-Halloween. Njengoba iphephandaba i-Monde liphawula, “i-Halloween, eqondene noSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta noSuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke (ngo-November 1 no-2) futhi engase ithathe isikhundla sazo, ijabulisa abanikazi bezitolo kodwa iyabesabisa abefundisi.”

Abameleli besonto eFrance baye baveza ukukhathazeka ngokushabalala kwala maholidi angokwesiko obuKatolika ngenxa ye-Halloween, bakubheka njengophawu “lobuqaba emphakathini.” NgokukaStanislas Lalanne, umkhulumeli we-Conference of Catholic Bishops eFrance, i-Halloween ‘ihlanekezela injongo yokuphila nokufa.’ Umbhishobhi waseNice, uJean Bonfils, wathi “lo mkhosi namasiko awo awuhlobene nhlobo namasiko ethu aseMediterranean nawobuKristu,” futhi waxwayisa amaKatolika “ngomkhosi obaluleke kunayo yonke wabakhulekeli bakaSathane emhlabeni wonke.”

Ekhuluma ngokulahla kwabantu baseFrance amasiko obuKatolika ngenxa yemikhosi enjalo yobuqaba, uHippolyte Simon, umbhishobhi waseClermont-Ferrand, uthi: “Kunjengokungathi umphakathi waseFrance ufuna uhlobo lwenkolo kawonk’ uwonke engathatha isithunzi sobuKristu.” Uyabhala: “Nge-Halloween kulingiswa abafileyo futhi ‘izipoki’ zabo ziyabuya zizosethusa zisisongele ngokufa. Ngokuphambene nalokho, ngoSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta siqinisekisa ukuthi abasishiyile bayaphila nokuthi sithenjiswa ukuhlangana nabo eMzini kaNkulunkulu.”—Vers une France païenne? (Ingabe IFrance Iphishekela Ubuqaba?)

Ngokufanayo, uCarlo Maria Martini, ukhadinali waseMilan, e-Italy, wanxusa amaNtaliyane ukuba angawalahli amaholidi obuKatolika, waveza ukuthi i-Halloween “ayihambisani nesiko lethu, eliyigugu kakhulu nokufanele liqhutshekiselwe phambili. USuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke luwumkhosi womlando wethu. Luyisikhathi lapho kwembuleka khona ithemba lokuphila okuphakade, inkathi lapho iNkosi isenza siqonde khona ukuthi kunokwengeziwe ekuphileni kunokuphila kwasemhlabeni.” Akungabazeki ukuthi amaKatolika amaningi azizwa ngendlela efanayo. Kodwa ingabe umahluko phakathi kwe-Halloween noSuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke usobala ngendlela lezi zinkulumo ezisenza sikholelwe ngayo? Ukuhlolisisa imisuka yala maholidi obuKatolika kwembulani?

Umkhosi Ongcwele

I-Catholic Encyclopedia ichaza uSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta njengomkhosi “wokuhlonipha bonke osanta, abaziwayo nabangaziwa.” Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili, abantu ababebizwa ngokuthi amaKristu baqala ukudumisa labo ababebulawelwe ukholo lwabo, futhi ngenxa yokuthi babekholelwa ukuthi kakade base benoKristu ezulwini, babethandaza kubo ukuba babanxusele kuye. Umkhosi wasikhathi sonke waqala ngo-May 13,b 609 noma 610 C.E., lapho uPapa Boniface IV enikezela iPantheon—ithempeli lamaRoma labo bonke onkulunkulu—kuMariya nakubo bonke abafel’ ukholo. UMarkale uthi: “Onkulunkulu bamaRoma bathathelwa indawo osanta benkolo yabanqobi.”

Ukushintshela kosuku ku-November kwenzeka ngaphansi kukaPapa Gregory III (731-741 C.E.), owanikezela isonto eRoma kubo bonke osanta futhi wayala ukuba bahlonishwe ngo-November 1. Ukuthi wakwenzelani lokhu ngempela akwaziwa. Kodwa kungenzeka kwakungenxa yokuthi iholidi elinjalo kakade lase ligujwa ngalolu suku eNgilandi. I-Encyclopedia of Religion ithi: “iSamhain yaqhubeka iwumkhosi oyintandokazi kumaCelt phakathi naso sonke isikhathi sokungena kobuKristu eBrithani. Isonto laseBrithani lazama ukuphambukisa isithakazelo emasikweni obuqaba ngokufaka umkhosi wobuKristu ngosuku olufanayo neSamhain. . . . Kungenzeka ukugujwa koSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta eBrithani ngenkathi ephakathi kwabangela ukugujwa kabanzi kwalo mkhosi kulo lonke isonto lobuKristu.”

UMarkale uveza ithonya elikhulayo lezindela zase-Ireland kulo lonke elaseYurophu phakathi nalesi sikhathi. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia nayo ithi: “Abase-Ireland babevame ukuba nemikhosi ebalulekile ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga, futhi njengoba u-November 1 naye ayewukuqala kobusika bamaCelt, kwakungaba usuku olufanele lomkhosi wabo bonke osanta.” Ekugcineni, ngo-835 C.E., uPapa Gregory IV wagunyaza lo mkhosi kuyo yonke indawo.

Kanti uSuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke, lapho kushiwo imithandazo ukuze kusizwe imiphefumulo esesihlanzweni ifinyelele injabulo yasezulwini, yiholidi elamiswa ngo-November 2 phakathi nekhulu le-11 yizindela zaseCluny, eFrance. Nakuba uSuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke kuyiholidi lobuKatolika, kusobala ukuthi abantu abavamile babedidekile. I-New Catholic Encyclopedia iphawula ukuthi “phakathi nayo yonke iNkathi Ephakathi, kwakuyinkolelo evamile ukuthi ngalolu suku, imiphefumulo esesihlanzweni yayivela njengemingcwi, abathakathi, amaxoxo, njll.”

Ngenxa yokwehluleka ukukhipha izinkolelo zobuqaba ezinhliziyweni zemihlambi yalo, isonto lamane lazigubuzela “ngobuKristu.” Iqokomisa leli qiniso, i-Encyclopedia of Religion ithi: “Umkhosi wobuKristu, uMkhosi Wabo Bonke Osanta, ukhumbula osanta benkolo yobuKristu abaziwayo nabangaziwa njengoba nje neSamhain yayiqaphele igunya futhi yahlonipha onkulunkulu bamaCelt.”

Imikhosi Ethandwayo Kanye Nawe

Kufanele ukhathazeke kangakanani ngempela ngomlando omubi we-Halloween nemikhosi enjalo? Phela, ezingqondweni zabantu abaningi, i-Halloween imane iyinkathi yokuvunula nokuzijabulisa. Kodwa ubungeke yini uvume ukuthi kubalulekile kubazali ukuqiniseka ukuthi noma yikuphi ukuzilibazisa izingane zabo ezikuphishekelayo kuyakha futhi akuyona ingozi?

Umhloli wezikole waseFrance oseneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 yolwazi lokufundisa wabuzwa ngethonya i-Halloween enalo ezinganeni ezincane. Waphawula: “Ngiyakhathazeka ngokuthi ukungena kwezingane indlu ngendlu zisongela abantu abadala ukuze zithole uswidi kungaba nemiphumela eyingozi yesikhathi eside kuzo. Kungakhuthaza ubugovu nokuzazisa. Zifunda ukuthi ngokucindezela umuntu, ngokumsongela, ngokwesabisa abanye, zingakuthola lokho ezikufunayo.” Ngakho-ke, abazali kumelwe bazibuze, ‘Yiziphi “izifundo” eziyofundwa yizingane zami ngokugubha leli holidi?’

Akumangalisi ukuthi imikhaya eminingi ithola ukuthi ukuvumela izingane zifune uswidi nezingubo zokuvunula kungamba eqolo. URobert Rochefort, umqondisi-jikelele weResearch Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions eFrance uthi: “I-Halloween . . . ayilona iholidi, iyithuba lezentengiselwano.” I-Halloween igcwalisa isidingo sokuthenga ngaphambi kukaKhisimusi. Ngamanye amazwi, imane icindezela abantu ukuba bachithe imali—imali ngokuvamile abangenayo. Ingabe kufanele ngempela ulandele iningi kule ndaba?

Nokho, okukhathaza amaKristu nakakhulu iqiniso lokuthi i-Halloween nemikhosi enjengayo kusekelwe ebuqabeni. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Angifuni ukuba nibe abahlanganyeli namademoni. Aninakuphuza indebe yeNkosi nendebe yamademoni.” (1 Korinte 10:20-22, New International Version) Futhi wabuza: “Kunabudlelwane buni phakathi kobuhle nobubi? Ukukhanya nobumnyama kungaphilisana kanjani? UKristu nodeveli bangavumelana kanjani? Yini ikholwa elifana ngayo nomuntu ongakholwa?” (2 Korinte 6:14-16, Phillips) Ngakho, iBhayibheli liwulahla ngokuphelele umqondo wokugubuzela umkhuba wobuqaba ngobuKristu!

IBhayibheli lixwayisa nangomkhuba wokusebenzisa imimoya. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi abaningi abagubha i-Halloween bangathi bayayenyanya imikhuba yobuSathane, kufanele siqaphele ukuthi ngokomlando leli holidi lihlobene eduze nokusebenzisa imimoya. Ngakho, lingaholela ekusebenziseni imimoya, ikakhulukazi entsheni ethonyeka kalula. Imikhuba namasiko obuqaba angcoliswe ukusebenzisa imimoya awanandawo ekukhulekeleni kobuKristu; ayingozi.

Ekugcineni, kuneqiniso lokuthi i-Halloween, uSuku Lwabo Bonke Osanta noSuku Lwemiphefumulo Yonke kusekelwe ezinkolelweni zokuthi abafileyo bayahlupheka noma ukuthi bangalimaza abaphilayo ngandlela-thile. Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi izinkolelo ezinjalo azilona iqiniso, lithi: “Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bayakufa, kepha abafileyo abazi lutho.” (UmShumayeli 9:5) Ngenxa yaleso sizathu, iBhayibheli liyeluleka: “Konke isandla sakho esikufumanayo ukukwenza, kwenze ngamandla akho, ngokuba akukho msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo [ithuna elivamile lesintu], lapho uya khona.” (UmShumayeli 9:10) Njengoba abafileyo bengaphili futhi kanjalo bengeke balimaze abanye noma bahlupheke ngokwabo, akukho okufanele sikwesabe ngabo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, imithandazo yokubasiza ayisizi ngalutho. Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi alikho ithemba ngabathandekayo bethu abafileyo? Cha. IBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi “luyoba khona uvuko kokubili olwabalungileyo nabangalungile.”—IzEnzo 24:15.c

Uma umuntu enolwazi uba nenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Ngeke kulindeleke ukuba senze izinqumo ezihlakaniphile uma singenawo wonke amaqiniso. Ngemva kokucabangela amaqiniso avezwe kulezi zihloko eziwuchungechunge, yini oyonquma ukuyenza?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

I-Halloween ibhebhethekisa amanga okuthi abafileyo eqinisweni bayaphila

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 7]

Imikhuba yokubhula yamaCelt isekhona emidlalweni ye-Halloween

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Umsuka we-Halloween usemkhosini wamaCelt, ngokunokwenzeka ukukhulekelwa kukaLug, unkulunkulu wokukhanya

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Amangcwaba aneziphambano zamaCelt asendulo

[Izithombe ekhasini 6, 7]

Ukubamba ama-apula ngamazinyo kungomunye umdlalo osuselwa kumaCelt

[Umthombo]

From the magazine: The Delineator October 1911

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

UPapa Boniface IV wanikezela iPantheon yamaRoma angamaqaba kuMariya nakubo bonke abafel’ ukholo besonto

[Izithombe ekhasini 9]

I-Halloween inaliphi ithonya ezinganeni zakho?

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

AmaKristu eqiniso ajabulela ukuzilibazisa komkhaya okwakhayo