Tsiku la “St. Nicholas”​—Kodi Linachokera Kuti?

YENDANI m’makwalala a Belgium kuchiyambi kwa December, ndipo mudzawona kawonekedwe kochititsa chidwi: timagulu tating’ono ta ana tikumapita kunyumba ndi nyumba, akuyimba nyimbo za mawu aafupi zotchedwa “nyimbo za St. Nicholas.” Eninyumba amayankha kwa achichepere osangalatsawo mwa kufupa zipatso, masiwiti, kapena ndalama.

Kodi nchochitika chanji? “Tsiku la St. Nicholas”! Mu United States ndi maiko ena, “St. Nicholas,” kapena “Santa Claus,” limagwirizanitsidwa ndi tsiku la Krisimasi. Koma mu Belgium, “woyera” wandevuyo ali ndi tsiku lakelake. Ndithudi, “St. Nicholas” (Sinterklaas, kapena Sint Nicolaas), amene tsiku la phwando lake limakhala pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chimodzi la December, ali mmodzi wa “oyera” otchuka koposa mu Belgium ndi Netherlands. Matchalitchi ambiri, nyumba zolambirira, makwalala, kapena nyumba zokhalamo zatchedwa ndi dzina lake. Iye mwamwambo adziŵika monga “bwenzi lalikulu la ana” limene mofunitsitsa limagaŵira mphatso kwa iwo pa tsiku la phwando lake.

Madzulo a holideyo isanafike, ana achichepere amaika imodzi ya nsapato zawo kapena patapata pafupi ndi chumuni akumayimba nyimbo zawo. Iwo anawuzidwa kuti “Woyera” Nicholas ndi mtumiki wake wakuda (wotchedwa Peter Wakuda) adzafika usikuwo ndi chombo cha pamadzi kuchokera ku Spain. Pambuyo pake, “woyerayo” adzakwera pa kavalo wake wotumbuluka namadutsa pa madenga a nyumba, motsatiridwa ndi Peter Wakuda, yemwe amanyamula mkwapulo ndi thumba lalikulu lokhala ndi zoseweretsa ndi masiwiti. Nicholas amabweretsanso maapple, mtedza, ndi zipatso zina za m’munda. Kaŵirikaŵiri iye amasiya mabisiketi a mtundu wodera, onunkhira otchedwa speculaas, kapena mabisiketi a bishopu, amene amaphikidwa mwapadera, ndi mwa machenjera m’kapangidwe kosiyanasiyana.

Olandirawo? Ana amene anali abwino mkati mwa chaka chatha. Komabe, osamverawo, molingaliridwa adzalandira mkwapulo; kapena choipirapo, iwo angaikidwe m’thumba la Peter Wakuda ndi kutengedwa! Chotero, momvekera, anawo amakhala ofunitsitsa kukondweretsa alendo ausiku ameneŵa. Motero, tambula ya gin imadikirira “woyerayo,” ndipo carrot kapena zidutswa zingapo za suga yowumitsidwa zimaikidwira kavalo wake.

Makolo ambiri mu Belgium amalingalira “Tsiku la St. Nicholas” kukhala nthaŵi yosangalatsa koposa m’chaka. Iwo amasangalala kupenyerera nkhope zoyembekezera za ana awo amene ali ofunitsitsa kudziŵa chimene “woyera wabwinoyo” wawabweretsera! Chotero iwo amapatsira nthanozo kwa ana awo, osadziŵa kwenikweni kumene miyambo imeneyi inachokera. Ngati iwo anadziŵa, mwinamwake akanadabwa kotheratu.

“Woyera” Nicholas ndi Odin

Oosthoeks Encyclopedia imalongosola kuti: “Kukondwerera [St. Nicholas] kwa m’banja kunayambira ku phwando la ku tchalitchi (kuphatikizapo zodabwitsa kaamba ka ana) zimene nazonso zinachokera ku zinthu zakale Chikristu chisanakhale. Woyera Nicholas, yemwe amakwera kavalo namapita pa madenga a nyumba, ali mulungu wachikunja Wodan [Odin]. . . . Woyera Nicholas analinso mtsogoleri wa kusaka nyama zakutchire kumene miyoyo ya akufa imachezera dziko lapansi.”

Inde, Ateuton anakhulupirira kuti Odin, kapena Wodan, mulungu wawo wamkulu, anatsogolera miyoyo ya akufa pa liŵiro la akavalo lochititsa mantha mkati mwa “masiku khumi ndi aŵiri oipa” pakati pa Krisimasi ndi Epiphany (January 6). Mkuntho wotulukapo unanyamula mbewu za zipatso za m’munda, kuchititsa mphamvu yakubala. Kodi bwanji ponena za maapple, mtedza, ndi zipatso zina za m’nyengo ya phukuto zogaŵiridwa pa “Tsiku la St. Nicholas”? Izizo zinali zizindikiro za mphamvu yakubala. Anthu akale anakhulupirira kuti anakhoza kukondweretsa milungu mwa kuipatsa zopereka mkati mwa masiku ozizira, amdima a nyengo yachisanu. Zimenezi zikatulukapo mphamvu yakubala yowonjezereka kwa munthu, nyama, ndi nthaka.

Odin anatsagana ndi mtumiki wake Eckhard, kalambula bwalo wa Peter Wakuda, amene ananyamulanso mkwapulo. Osati kale kwambiri m’Nyengo Zapakati, chinali chikhulupiriro chofala kuti mitengo ina ndi zomera zinakhoza kupereka mphamvu yakubala kwa anthu ndikuti kungokwapula mkazi ndi nthambi ya mtengo woterowo kunampangitsa kukhala ndi pakati.

Bukhu lakuti Feest-en Vierdagen in kerk en volksgebruik (Maholide ndi Mapwando m’Tchalitchi ndi m’Miyambo Yofala) limatchula zofanana zina zoŵerengeka pakati pa Odin ndi “Woyera” Nicholas kuti: “Wodan, nayenso, anadzaza nsapato ndi nsapato za mtengo zoikidwa pambali pa chumuni koma iye anaikamo golidi. Kaamba ka kavalo wa Wodan, udzu wowuma ndi udzu zinaikidwanso m’nsapato za mtengo. Mtolo womalizira wa za m’munda nawonso unali wa kavaloyo.”

Bukhu lakuti Sint Nicolaas, lolembedwa ndi B. S. P. van den Aardweg, limasonya ku zofanana zina zosangalatsa zoŵerengeka:

“St. Nicholas: munthu wamtali, wojincha wa pa kavalo woyera. Iye ali ndi ndevu zazitali zoyera, ndodo m’dzanja lake, ndi nduwira pamutu pake . . . ndi chovala chachikulu, chachitali cha bishopu.

“Wodan: munthu wamtali wa ndevu zoyera. Iye amavala chisoti chachikulu chozungulira chosendezedwa m’munsi pamwamba pa maso ake. M’dzanja lake amagwira mkondo wamatsenga. Iye ali m’chovala chachikulu ndipo akuyenda pa kavalo wake wotumbuluka wokhulupirika Sleipnir.

“Pali zowonjezereka ku zofanana zowonekera zimenezi: Wodan anakwera kavalo wake wotumbuluka kupyola m’mlengalenga ndipo anthu onthunthumira anapereka makeke okhala ndi zinthu mkati kuwonjezera pa nyama ndi zipatso za m’minda. St. Nicholas akuyenda pa kavalo pa madenga a nyumba ndipo ana akukonzekera udzu wowuma, macarrot, ndi madzi kaamba ka kavaloyo. Zakudya za ginger ndi mkwapulo zinali zizindikiro za mphamvu yakubala kale asanayambike mapwando a St. Nicholas.”

Madzoma Amakono a Mphamvu Yakubala

Unyinji wa miyambo ina m’chigwirizano ndi “Woyera” Nicholas mofananamo imavumbula ziyambi zawo zachikunja. Mwachitsanzo, ku mbali za kumpoto pa December 4, anyamata a zaka zoyambira 12 mpaka 18 zakubadwa amawonekera pa makwalala. Ovekedwa zinyawu zokometsedwa ndi nthenga, zikamba, ndi zinthu zina za kumaloko, anyamata ovekedwa zinyawuwo amaimira “Oyera Anicholas achichepere,” kapena Sunne Klaezjen. Nthaŵi yamadzulo tsiku lotsatira, amuna a zaka 18 zakubadwa ndi okulirapo atenga mbali yawo m’kutero. Ku chiyambi kwa madzulo, iwo amayendayenda m’makwalala. Akugwiritsira ntchito masake, nyanga za njati, ndi zibonga, iwo amathamangitsa akazi onse, atsikana, ndi anyamata aang’ono amene akumana nawo. Atsikana achichepere amawuzidwa kuvina kapena kudumpha kamtengo.

Chifuno cha zonsezi? Chinalinso mphamvu yakubala​—nkhaŵa yomapitirizabe ya miyambo yakale. Nyengo yachisanu inali nthaŵi yamdima ndi yodetsa nkhaŵa, ndipo kaŵirikaŵiri inawonedwa kukhala nthaŵi imene mulungu wa mphamvu yakubala anali mtulo kapena wakufa. Chimaganizidwa kuti mwanjira zosiyanasiyana mulunguyo akanapatsidwa moyo watsopano kapena kuti mulunguyo kapena mulungu wachikazi mwinamwake akanangopatsidwa thandizo. Mphatso, kuvina, phokoso, kumenya ndi mkwapulo wa mphamvu yakubala​—zonsezi zinawonedwa kukhala njira zothamangitsira mizimu yoipa ndi kuwonjezera mphamvu yakubala mwa anthu, nyama, ndi nthaka.

Chotero pamene atsikana achichepere alumpha kamtengo, iwo amatsanzira makolo awo amene anakhulupirira kuti utali umene iwo alumpha ukakhala utali pamene mbewu ya nthamza ikafika. Mwakuthamangitsa akazi ndi ana, amuna achichepere anabwereza dzoma la kuthamangitsa mizimu yoipa.

Chosankha cha Alambiri Owona

Kodi nchifukwa ninji madzoma oterowo akhala mbali ya chotchedwa Chikristu? Chifukwa chakuti zaka mazana ambiri apita, amishonale a tchalitchi sanawumirire kuti otembenuzidwa awo atsatire lamulo Lamalemba lakuti: “Tulukani pakati pawo, ndipo patukani . . . ndipo musakhudza kanthu kosakonzeka.” (2 Akorinto 6:17) M’malo mochotsapo machitachita achikunja, amishonale a Dziko Lachikristu kwenikweni anapitirizabe miyambo imeneyi mwa kuisintha ndi kuigwiritsira ntchito. Miyambo yoteroyo inafalitsidwa kuzungulira dziko lonse.

Osamuka ochokera ku Holland amene anakhazikika mu North America anapitirizabe kumakondwerera “Woyera” Nicholas. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi dzinalo linakhotetsedwa kukhala “Santa Claus.” Bishopu wolemekezekayo anasinthidwa kukhala mwamuna wonenepetsa wa masaya ofiira, wovekedwa suti yowala. Nduwira yake yachibishopu inasinthidwa kukhala chisoti chamatsenga ndipo kavalo woyera anasinthidwa ndi ngolo yokokedwa ndi nyama yotchedwa reindeer. Komabe, Santa Claus anapitirizabe kukhala wobweretsa mphatso, ngakhale kuti kuchezetsa kwake kunasinthidwira pa Madzulo a Krisimasi.

Mu mbali Zachiprotesitanti za ku Germany, “Woyera” Wachikatolika Nicholas analoŵedwa m’malo ndi “Bambo wa Krisimasi” wamawonekedwe auchete mokulira. Komabe, mbali zachikunja zikuwonekerabe kufikira lero.

Yesu Kristu ananena kuti “olambira owona adzalambira Atate mumzimu ndi m’chowonadi.” (Yohane 4:23) Kwa alambiri owona mtima, miyambo ya “Woyera” Nicholas imapereka chitokoso chenicheni: Kodi alambiri ameneŵa adzapititsabe patsogolo machitachita akale a mpatuko wa Odin, kapena kodi iwo adzaleka kutsatira m’mapazi achikunja? Ino ndiyo nthaŵi yabwino ya chaka kuganizira ponena za funso lofunika kwambiri limenelo.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 26]

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