Kodi Krisimasi Imatanthauzanji kwa Inu?
Kodi mungayankhe motani? Krisimasi ndiyo (1) nthaŵi yokhala pamodzi ndi banja lanu; (2) nthaŵi ya mapwando; (3) nthaŵi yachipembedzo; (4) nthaŵi ya mavuto; (5) nthaŵi yokumbukira zakale; (6) nthaŵi ya malonda ochuluka.
NGAKHALE kuti zingaoneke kukhala zodabwitsa, pakati pa anthu oposa 1,000 ofunsidwa mu Britain, 6 peresenti okha ndiwo anaona Krisimasi kukhala chochitika chachipembedzo. Komabe, 48 peresenti analingalira Krisimasi kwakukulukulu kukhala nthaŵi yokhalira pamodzi ndi banja lawo. Ndithudi, ambiri amaganiza kuti ndiyo nthaŵi yapadera kwa ana. Mwachitsanzo, pamene mtsikana wina wa zaka 11 anafunsidwa za chimene anakonda kwambiri ponena za Krisimasi, anayankha kuti: “Kukondwera, kukhala wachimwemwe, [ndi] kupatsa mphatso.” The Making of the Modern Christmas ikuvomereza kuti “mosakayikira, chigogomezero champhamvu kwambiri cha . . . Krisimasi ‘yamwambo’ chili panyumba, banja ndipo makamaka pa ana.”
Koma makamaka m’Dziko Lachikristu la kumadzulo ndi mmene Krisimasi ili chochitika cha banja, pamene achibale amasonkhana pamodzi ndi kupatsana mphatso. M’maiko amene chipembedzo cha Eastern Orthodox Church chili champhamvu kwambiri, anthu amaika chigogomezero chachikulu pa Isitala; chikhalirechobe, nthaŵi ya Krisimasi imakhalabe nyengo yatchuthi.
“Chochitika cha Malonda”
Krisimasi “yasintha kwambiri . . . kukhala yamalonda,” ikutero The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Mwinamwake kulibe kulikonse kumene zimenezi zachitika kuposa ku Japan.
“Ajapani alekeratu kunamizira chipembedzo ndipo asintha Krisimasi kukhala chochitika cha malonda enieni,” ikusimba motero Daily Record ya ku Washington. Krisimasi mu Japan, ikuwonjezera motero, “yakhala phwando lalikulu limene limagogomezera kwambiri malonda m’malo mwa mbali yachipembedzo.”
Ngakhale m’maiko ambiri otchedwa Achikristu, “mbali yachipembedzo” imeneyi kaŵirikaŵiri yakhala yovuta kuona. Pafupifupi zaka 40 zapitazo, kabuku kotsutsa Krisimasi kanadandaula kuti: “Krisimasi imachirikizidwa ndi malonda. Yakhala nyengo yopeza ndalama zochuluka kwambiri m’chaka. Anthu amalonda odzinenera kukhala Akristu amayembekezera nyengo ya Krisimasi mwachidwi, osati chifukwa cha Kristu, koma chifukwa cha phindu la ndalama.” Ali oona chotani nanga mawu amenewo lerolino! M’maiko ambiri, kaŵirikaŵiri pamene tifika kuchiyambi kwa miyezi itatu yomaliza ya chaka timamva zikumbutso za masiku omwe atsala ogulira mphatso za Krisimasi yotsatira. Malonda amayenda mofulumira pamene chaka chikufika kumapeto ake, ndipo pafupifupi mbali imodzi mwa zinayi ya za m’masitolo zimagulitsidwa panthaŵi ya Krisimasi.
Mosasamala kanthu ndi zimene Krisimasi imatanthauza kwa inu, mwinamwake mukudabwa mmene iyo inayambira. Kwenikweni, kodi Baibulo limachirikiza kupatsa mphatso kwa pa Krisimasi? Kodi mapwando a Krisimasi a lerolino alidi Achikristu? Tiyeni tione.
[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 2]
Chikuto: Thomas Nast/Dover Publications, Inc., 1978