Zenizeni Ponena za Krisimasi, Isitala, ndi Halloween

BAIBULO limasonyeza kuti Yesu anali wazaka 33 1/2 pamene anapachikidwa kuchiyambi kwa ngululu ya m’chaka cha 33 C.E., panthaŵi ya Paskha Wachiyuda. Mwa kuŵerenga cha futambuyo, zimenezi zitanthauza kuti iye anabadwa kuchiyambi kwa nyengo ya phukuto.

Kukondwerera Saturnalia, tsiku la kubadwa kwa dzuŵa losagonjetseka, kochitidwa ndi Roma wachikunja kunali kukhalako miyezi itatu pambuyo pake. Kodi ndimotani mmene kukondwerera kubadwa kwa Yesu kunakankhidwira kutsogolo kukhala December 25, kuti kugwirizane mwamwano ndi chikondwerero chachikunja cha tsiku la kubadwa kwa dzuŵa?

Masiku a December amene nthaŵi zonse ali aafupi anachititsa mantha amalaulo pakati pa olambira dzuŵa, amene anawopa kuti mulungu wawo anali kufa. Iwo anayatsa makandulo ndi chimoto chapabwalo kuthandizira kuchiritsa mulungu wawo wodwalayo. Zimenezo zinaonekera kukhala zikugwira ntchito. Pambuyo pa nyengo ya tsiku loyamba chisanu la December 21, mulungu dzuŵa anaonekera kukhala atapezanso nyonga yake pamene masiku anayamba kutalikirapo.

“December unali mwezi waukulu wa zikondwerero zachikunja, ndipo Dec. 25 anali chimake cha mapwando a m’nyengo yachisanu,” imatero Church Christmas Tab. “Ena amakhulupirira kuti bishopu wa Roma anasankha Dec. 25 kukhala tsiku la kubadwa kwa Kristu kuti ‘apatulikitse’ mapwando achikunja. Zimene zinatsatirapo zinali msanganizo wachilendo wa mapwando achikunja ndi Achikristu umene dziko tsopano limautcha Krisimasi.” Nkhaniyo ikuvomereza kuti: “Liwulo ‘Krisimasi’ silimapezeka m’Baibulo. Ndipo Malemba samapereka lamulo la kukondwerera kubadwa kwa Yesu.”

Nchifukwa chake katswiri wa zaumulungu Tertullian anadandaula kuti: “Ife, amene tinali alendo pa Masabata, ndi miyezi yatsopano ndi mapwando, zimene kale zinali zovomerezedwa ndi Mulungu, tsopano tikupezeka kaŵirikaŵiri pa Saturnalia [ndi mapwando ena achikunja], tikumatengera mphatso kumalo osiyanasiyana, . . . ndipo maseŵera ndi mapwando amachitidwa mwa phokoso lachisangalalo.”

Papa Gregory I anapitiriza ndi mchitidwe woipitsa umenewu. Malinga nkunena kwa magazini a Natural History, “mmalo moyesa kufafaniza miyambo ndi zikhulupiriro za anthu, malangizo a papa anali akuti, zigwiritsireni ntchito. Ngati gulu la anthu lilambira mtengo, mmalo moudula, upatulireni kwa Kristu ndipo aloleni kupitiriza ndi kulambira kwawo.”

Chowonadi ndi Chinyengo Sizingagwirizane

Kodi njira yololera molakwa imeneyi inavomerezedwa ndi Mulungu? Onani chenjezo la Mulungu kwa anthu ake okonzekera kuloŵa m’Kanani wachikunja: “Dzichenjerani nokha . . . kuti mungafunsire milungu yawo, ndi kuti, Amitundu awa atumikira milungu yawo bwanji? ndichite momwemo inenso. Musamatero ndi Yehova Mulungu wanu; pakuti zilizonse zinyansira Yehova, zimene azida iye, iwowa anazichitira milungu yawo.” (Deuteronomo 12:30, 31) Chenjezo limodzimodzilo likubwerezedwa m’Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu kuti: “Musakhale omangidwa m’goli ndi osakhulupirira osiyana; pakuti chilungamo chigaŵana bwanji ndi chosalungama? Kapena kuunika kuyanjana bwanji ndi mdima? Ndipo Kristu avomerezana bwanji ndi Beliyali? Kapena wokhulupira ali nalo gawo lanji pamodzi ndi wosakhulupira?”—2 Akorinto 6:14, 15.

Kodi nchiyani chimene Mulungu amachiona kukhala chonyansa kwambiri ponena za milungu yonama imeneyi ndi kulambiridwa kwawo? Saturn anali mulungu dzuŵa wa Aroma wolemekezedwa ndi phwando la Saturnalia. Kodi iye anali woyenera? Simon Schama, profesa wa mbiri yakale pa Yunivesite ya Havard, akumutcha “wokondetsa kudya, kumwa ndi zoipa zina za mtundu uliwonse.” Magazini a Lear’s amafotokoza holideyo kukhala “dzoma lonkitsa la vinyo lotchuka koposa m’nthaŵi yamakedzana.”

Magulu olambira Mithra mulungu dzuŵa anali ofala ku Asia. Malinga nkunena kwa Gabriel Seabrook, katswiri wa zakakhalidwe ka anthu, iye anali “mulungu wankhondo, amene aponyera adani ake mivi yakupha ndi matenda osachiritsika kubwalo la nkhondo.”

Kulambira dzuŵa pakati pa a Aztec kunali kokhetsa mwazi kwambiri. Magazini a Natural History akufotokoza kuti “ngati kuti mikhole sinaperekedwe nsembe kwa milungu ya dzuŵa, moyo wonse—kuphatikizapo wa milungu ina—ukafa.”

Mutapenda magwero a phwando limeneli (onani bokosi pansipa), mwinamwake sizingakudabwitseni kuti mfiti ndi olambira Satana amalemekezabe December 25. Magazini a San Francisco Chronicle a December 21, 1991, anagwira mawu a mfiti imene imalemba nkhani zachikunja zotchuka akuti: “Ili imodzi ya maholide athu othodwetsa kwambiri. Timakhala maso usiku wonse.” Chiŵalo cha gulu la Covenant of the Goddess chinati: “Timachita dzoma. . . . Ziŵalo za atsogoleri athu achipembedzo zimachita seŵero lamaere la kubadwa kwa mwana wa dzuŵa.”

Kodi Mulungu kapena Mwana wake amavomereza ulemu wotero, umene umasonyeza kulambiridwa kwa milungu yonama?

Kodi Ndi Isitala—Kapena Astarte?

Zochita za paholide za banjali zimayamba m’mamaŵa pamene adzuka kuchingamira kutuluka kwa dzuŵa ndi ulemu wa kulambira. Ana amavekedwa zokongola ndithu, ndi zisoti zatsopano. Chikondwererocho chikuphatikizapo zizindikiro za kalulu, mitanga yodzala ndi mazira amaonekedwe okongola, ndi masikono otentha a mtanda. Imeneyi iyenera kukhala Isitala. Kodi ndiyodi?

Nyengo ya ngululu inali yopatulika kwa olambira kugonana a ku Foinike. Dzira ndi kalulu zinali zizindikiro za mulungu wawo wachikazi, Astarte, kapena Ishtar (Aphrodite wa Agiriki). Iye anali ndi ludzu losatha la mwazi ndi chilakolako chosakhutiritsika cha chisembwere. Mafano ake anamsonyeza mosiyanasiyana monga wokhala ndi mpheto yachikazi yaikulu mopambanitsa kapena ndi dzira m’dzanja lake ndi kalulu pambali pake. Uhule wopatulika unali mbali ya kulambiridwa kwake. M’Kanani, mulungu wamkazi wa kugonana anatchedwa mkazi wa Baala. Iye analemekezedwa ndi michezo ya maledzero ya kugonana, olambirawo akumakhulupirira kuti kugonana kwawo kunachititsa Baala ndi mkazi wake kunyanyuka kwambiri ndi kugonana. Malinga ndi buku lakuti Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands, “palibe dziko lililonse limene munapezedwa unyinji wotero wa mafano a maliseche a mulungu wachikazi wa kubala, ena a iwo onyansa ndithu.”

Pansi pa zikumbutso zake ku Carthage, zotengera zoŵala zinapezedwa zokhala ndi mafupa opserezedwa a ana aang’ono. Makolo awo, kaŵirikaŵiri anthu audindo ndi apamwamba, anafunafuna dalitso la milungu yawo pa chuma ndi mphamvu yawo. Zotengera zina zinapezedwa zili ndi zotsala za ana ambiri a misinkhu yosiyana, mwinamwake a m’banja limodzi.

Kupenda bokosi pamwambapo kumasonyeza mmene mitundu yamakono ya madzoma amakedzana ameneŵa iliri yosasiyana. Ngakhale dzinalo Isitala nlosasiyana konse ndi dzina lamakedzana lachikunja. Pamenepatu, kodi imeneyi ndiyo njira yolemekezera Mwana woyera wa Mulungu?

Halloween—Usiku Wamakedzana wa Zowopsa

Ndiusiku wotsirizira wa October. Mounikiridwa ndi mwezi, kagulu ka anthu ovala mikanjo kakupita kunyumba ndi nyumba akumanena zimene akufuna mowopseza. Zoikidwa kuchinjiriza makomo ena ndizo nyale zachibade zokhala ndi makandulo omayaka—opangidwa ndi mafuta a anthu. Makomo ena akudontha mwazi wa anthu. Ndiusiku wa Samhain, mbuye wa anthu a fuko la Celt wa akufa.

Mwinamwake palibe chikondwerero china “chokhalitsidwa Chachikristu” choposa chimenechi mwa chimene Satana amadzilemekezera poyera ndi kukumbukira otsatira ake omwe anafa. Wolemba nkhani J. Garnier akunena kuti mapwando okumbukira kuvutika ndi imfa angapezedwe kukhala anayamba kalelo pa chiwonongeko chamakedzana cha otsatira ake onse aumunthu, limodzinso ndi ana a angelo omwe anali zimphona, panthaŵi ya Chigumula. Mitundu ya padziko lonse ili ndi mapwando a akufa, “ochitidwa patsiku kapena chapafupi ndi tsikulo pamene, malinga nkunena kwa cholembedwa cha Mose, Chigumula chinachitika, ndiko kuti, patsiku la khumi ndi chisanu ndi chiŵiri la mwezi—mwezi umene wofuna kufanana ndi November wathu.”—The Worship of the Dead, lolembedwa ndi J. Garnier.

Anthu a fuko la Druid sanali osiyana. Pa October 31, Samhain ananenedwa kuti ankatulutsa mizimu ya akufa kuti iyanjane ndi amoyo. Anthu a fuko la Druid anali kuyendayenda m’makwalala ndi nyale, ndipo atafika panyumba iliyonse, anapempha ndalama monga nsembe ya Satana.

Halloween ndidzoma lalikulu lausatana lerolino. “Ndiholide yachipembedzo ya dziko la akufa, olambira Satana akumapereka nsembe ndi mfiti zikumakondwerera mwakachetechete mozungulira ndi mwamapemphero kapena mapwando a akufa,” ikutero nkhani ya mu USA Today. Inagwira mawu a Bryan Jordan, mfiti ya ku Washington, amene anati, “[Akristu] sadziŵa, koma amakondwerera holide yathu limodzi nafe. . . . Timakondwa nazo zimenezo.”

Makolo, kodi mukufuna kuti ana anu atsanzire madzoma oipa ameneŵa?

[Bokosi patsamba 20]

Zizindikiro za Krisimasi

Mtengo wa Krisimasi “sumagwirizana kwambiri ndi chikondwerero Chachikristu koma umagwirizana kwambiri ndi kupitirizabe kosatha kwa zaka zikwi zambiri za madzoma a kuunika ndi kubadwanso kwa m’chisanu.” (The Boston Herald) “Mitengo yokhala ndi zingwinjiri zokoloŵekedwako inali mbali ya mapwando achikunja kwa zaka mazana ambiri.”—Church Christmas Tab.

Mtengo wa holly unali wotchuka kwa anthu a fuko la Celt “kusungitsa matsenga mumkhalidwe wabwino panyumba panthaŵi ya tsiku loyamba chisanu . . . Unali kupeŵetsa zoipa, kuthandizira poombedza ula wa maloto, kutetezera nyumba ku mphezi.”—Beautiful British Columbia.

Mtengo wa mistletoe “unachokera kwa anthu a fuko la Druid ku England amene anaugwiritsira ntchito m’kulambira kwachilendo kokhudza mphamvu zauchiŵanda ndi zamatsenga.”—Church Christmas Tab.

Pa December 25 “olambira Mithra anakondwerera kubadwa kwa Mithra . . . Palibiretu umboni wa baibulo wakuti December 25 ndilo tsiku limene [Yesu anabadwa].”—Isaac Asimov.

Kupatsa mphatso kunali mbali ya Saturnalia. “Munthuwe unayembekezeredwa kupereka mphatso ina yake kwa mabwenzi ako onse paphwando limeneli.”—Ancient Italy and Modern Religion.

Nyenyezi “yokhala pamwamba pa mtengo inalambiridwa Kummaŵa monga chizindikiro cha chiyero, ubwino ndi mtendere zaka 5,000 Kristu asanabadwe.”—United Church Herald.

Kandulo “sinatengedwe . . . kumalo opatulika Achikristu. Tinaitenga kuguwa loyambirira, la mtengo wa oak wa anthu a fuko la Druid.”—United Church Herald.

Santa anatengedwa “kunthanthi yamakedzana ya anthu a ku Germany: Thor anali mwamuna wokalamba, wansangala ndi waubwenzi, wonenepa wokhala ndi ndevu zoyera zazitali. Iye ankayendetsa galeta ndipo ananenedwa kuti amakhala ku Northland . . . Chizindikiro chake chinali moto, maonekedwe ake anali ofiira. Malo a moto m’nyumba iliyonse anali opatulika kwa iye, ndipo kunanenedwa kuti anatsikirapo kudzera m’chumuni.”—United Church Herald.

[Bokosi patsamba 21]

Madzoma a m’Ngululu

Isitala “poyambirira inali phwando la m’ngululu lolemekeza mulungu wachikazi wa anthu a fuko la Teuton wa kuunika ndi wa ngululu wotchedwa Eastre m’chinenero cha Anglo-Saxon.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible) “Palibe umboni uliwonse wa kuchitidwa kwa phwando la Isitala m’Chipangano Chatsopano.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.

Kalulu “anali bwenzi la Ostara mulungu wachikazi wa anthu a ku Germany.”—Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.

Mazira “anali kusinthidwa mtundu wa maonekedwe ake ndi kudyedwa pamapwando a m’ngululu ku Igupto, Peresiya, Girisi, ndi Roma wamakedzana.”—Celebrations.

Poyamba chisoti cha Isitala “chinali nkhata ya maluŵa kapena masamba. Kukwetera kwake kapena korona zinaimira dzuŵa lobulungira ndi m’njira yake m’miyamba imene inachititsa kuyambiranso kwa ngululu.” Zovala zatsopano za Isitala zinapangidwa chifukwa “kunalingaliridwa kukhala kupanda ulemu ndipo motero kukhala tsoka kuchingamira mulungu wachikazi wa a Scandinavia wa Ngululu, kapena Eastre, ndi chovala china chilichonse chosakhala chatsopano, popeza kuti mulungu wachikaziyo anali kuveka dziko lapansi chovala chatsopano.”—The Giant Book of Superstitions.

Masikono otentha a mtanda: “Mofanana ndi Agiriki, Aroma anali kudya mkate wolembedwapo mtanda . . . popereka nsembe zapoyera.” Anali kudyedwa ndi Asaxon achikunja kulemekeza Easter.—Encyclopædia Britannica.

Mapemphero a pakutuluka kwa dzuŵa ngogwirizana ndi madzoma “ochitidwa patsiku limene dzuŵa limadutsa [equator] m’nyengo ya ngululu kuchingamira dzuŵa ndi mphamvu yake yodzetsa moyo watsopano kwa olima dzinthu.”—Celebrations.

[Bokosi patsamba 22]

Magwero Oipa a Halloween

Zinyau ndi mikanjo: “Anthu a fuko la Celt anapereka chakudya, zakumwa ndi zinthu zina zabwino kwa mizimu ndiyeno kuinyengeza kuti ichoke m’dziko la amoyo mwa kuvala zinyau ndi mikanjo ndi kupita kumphepete kwa mudzi.”

Bonfire (chimoto chapabwalo) “poyambirira chinalidi ‘bonefire (chimoto cha mafupa)’” mwa zimene “ansembe anayesera kutonthoza mtima wa mulungu dzuŵa mwa kupereka nsembe za nyama ndipo, kaŵirikaŵiri, za anthu zomwe.” (The Tampa Tribune) “Mwakuona mmene nsembeyo inafera, anthu a fuko la Druid anaombedza ula wa mtsogolo.”—Beaumont Enterprise.

Tsenga kapena mphatso: “Pempho la anthu a fuko la Druid linali lofanana ndi lamakono la ‘Tsenga kapena Mphatso.’”—Central Coast Parent.

Nthano zowopsa: “Madzoma okhetsa mwazi a anthu a fuko la Druid amapititsidwa patsogolo ndi kugogomezeredwa kwapaubwana kwa mizukwa ndi mizimu. . . . Mapwando a Halloween ndi kusimba nthano zowopsa nakonso kunayambira m’nthaŵi ya anthu a fuko la Druid pamene mizimu inalingaliridwa kukhala ikuyendayenda m’dziko.”—The Tampa Tribune.

Mosasamala kanthu za ziyambi zachikunja za maholide ameneŵa, ena angadabwe ndi lingaliro la kuletsa ana kusangalala ndi zikondwerero zamakono. Ndi iko komwe, kodi nchiyani chimene ana ophunzitsidwa adziŵa ponena za Saturn, Astarte, ndi Samhain wamakedzana? Ena amadziŵako zina ndithu. Iwo amadziŵanso kuti safuna kutengamo mbali konse.

[Zithunzi patsamba 20]

Mithra

Thor

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Mithra: Musée du Louvre, Paris

Thor: The Age of Fable lolembedwa ndi T. Bulfinch, 1898

[Chithunzi patsamba 21]

Astarte

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 22]

Chigadza: Chithunzithunzi cha U.S. Forest Service