Ukuzalwa Komuntu Okufanele Kukhunjulwe

“Nizalelwe namuhla uMsindisi onguKristu iNkosi.”—Luka 2:11, “IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.”

EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-2 000 edlule, owesifazane othile emzini waseBhetlehema wazala umntwana womfana. Zimbalwa izakhamuzi zendawo ezaphawula ukubaluleka kokuzalwa kwalo mntwana. Kodwa abelusi abathile ababelusa imihlambi ebusuku ngaphandle, babona izingelosi eziningi futhi bazizwa zihlabelela: “Inkazimulo kuNkulunkulu phezulu ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, naphezu komhlaba ukuthula kubantu abathakazelelwayo.”—Luka 2:8-14.

Abelusi babe sebefuna uMariya nomyeni wakhe uJosefa, babathola esitebeleni, njengoba nje izingelosi zazishilo. UMariya wayethe umntwana ngokuthi uJesu, futhi wamlalisa emkhombeni, noma indawo yokudlela yezilwane, esitebeleni. (Luka 1:31; 2:12) Manje, ngemva kweminyaka engu-2 000, cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu kuso sonke isintu ithi ilandela uJesu Kristu. Futhi izenzakalo ezihlobene nokuzalwa kwakhe zakha isisekelo sendaba cishe esixoxwe kaningi ukudlula noma iyiphi indaba emlandweni womuntu.

ISpain, izwe elinobuKatolika obunezimpande nelinekhono lokugubha imikhosi eyisiko, iye yaqamba izindlela eziningi zokugubha lobo busuku baseBhetlehema obuyingqayizivele.

UKhisimusi WaseSpain

Kusukela ngekhulu le-13, imibukiso yokuzalwa kukaJesu iye yaba esinye zezici ezivame kakhulu emikhosini yaseSpain. Imikhaya eminingi yenza imifanekiso emincane yomkhombe uJesu ayelele kuwo. Imifanekiso yobumba ibonisa abelusi namaMagi (noma “amakhosi amathathu”), kanye noJosefa, uMariya, noJesu. Imifanekiso emikhulu yokuzalwa kukaJesu ngokuvamile imiswa eduze kwehholo ledolobha ngenkathi kaKhisimusi. Ngokusobala nguFrancis of Assisi owaqala leli siko e-Italy ukuze enze abantu bazi ngeVangeli elikhuluma ngokuzalwa kukaJesu. Kamuva, izindela zobuFrancis zalenza laduma leli siko eSpain nakwamanye amazwe amaningi.

AmaMagi adlala indima enkulu emikhosini yokugujwa kukaKhisimusi waseSpain, njengoba uFather Christmas edlala indima enkulu kwamanye amazwe. Kuthiwa amaMagi anikeza izingane zaseSpain izipho ngo-January 6, nge-Día de Reyes (USuku LwamaKhosi), njengoba nje ngokwenkolelo edumile amaMagi alethela uJesu owayesanda kuzalwa izipho. Nokho, bambalwa abantu abaziyo ukuthi ukulandisa kwamaVangeli akusho ukuthi mangaki amaMagi avakashela uJesu. Empeleni ayengabantu ababhula ngezinkanyezi, hhayi amakhosi.a Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngemva kokuvakasha kwala maMagi, uHerode owayezama ukubulala uJesu wabulala bonke abafana eBhetlehema “kusukela kwabaneminyaka emibili ubudala nangaphansi.” Lokho kubonisa ukuthi amaMagi avakasha sekuyisikhathi eside impela uJesu azalwa.—Mathewu 2:11, 16.

Kusukela ngekhulu le-12, amanye amadolobha aseSpain aye enza umdlalo waseshashalazini wokuzalwa kukaJesu, ohlanganisa ukuya kwabelusi eBhetlehema nokufika kwamaMagi kamuva. Namuhla, njalo ngo-January 5, amadolobha amaningi aseSpain aba ne-cabalgata, noma umbukiso, lapho “amakhosi amathathu” egibela imoto ehlotshisiwe enalo mbukiso, futhi ahambe idolobha epha ababukele amaswidi. Imihlobiso kaKhisimusi eyisiko nama-villancicos (izingoma) kwenza lesi senzakalo siphile.

Imikhaya eminingi yaseSpain ithanda ukuba nesidlo sakusihlwa esikhethekile ngobusuku obandulela uKhisimusi (ngo-December 24). Ukudla kwakhona kuhlanganisa i-turrón (amaswidi enziwe ngom-alimondi noju), i-marzipan, izithelo ezomisiwe, imvu eyosiwe, nokudla kwasolwandle. Amalungu omkhaya, ngisho nalawo ahlala kude kakhulu, angase enze umzamo okhethekile wokuba abe ndawonye kulesi senzakalo. Ngo-January 6, kwesinye isidlo salo mkhosi, umkhaya udla i-roscón de reyes, okuyikhekhe eliyindilinga ‘lamaKhosi’ eline-sorpresa (unodoli omncane) ofihlwe phakathi kulo. Isiko elifanayo ngezikhathi zamaRoma lalenza isigqila sibe “inkosi” ngalolo suku lapho sithola leyo nto efihlwe ekhekheni.

“Isikhathi Senjabulo Enkulu Nesimatasa Kakhulu Onyakeni”

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi imaphi amasiko endawo aye akheka, manje uKhisimusi usuyisenzakalo somhlaba wonke esiwumkhosi omkhulu kakhulu. I-World Book Encyclopedia ichaza uKhisimusi ngokuthi ‘emhlabeni wonke, uyisikhathi senjabulo nesimatasa kakhulu onyakeni, kumaKristu amaningi nakulabo abangewona amaKristu.’ Yinto enhle yini leyo?

Kusobala ukuthi ukuzalwa kukaKristu kwaba isenzakalo esibalulekile emlandweni. Iqiniso lokuthi izingelosi zamemezela lokhu kuzalwa njengebika ‘lokuthula kubantu abathakazelelwayo,’ lifakazela ngokucacile ukuthi kubalulekile.

Nokho, “ekuqaleni kobuKristu, ukuzalwa kukaJesu kwakungagujwa njengomkhosi,” kusho umlobeli wephephandaba waseSpain, uJuan Arias. Uma kanti kunjalo, kwavelaphi ukugujwa kukaKhisimusi? Iyiphi indlela engcono kakhulu yokukhumbula ukuzalwa nokuphila kukaJesu? Esihlokweni esilandelayo, uzothola izimpendulo zaleyo mibuzo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]