Mɛni Blonya Tsɔɔ Kɛha Bo?

Te obaaha hetoo oha tɛŋŋ? Blonya ji(1) be ni okɛ oweku lɛ hiɔ shi; (2) be ni akɛŋmɛɔ okpɔlɔi; (3) jamɔ be; (4) be ni nɔnyɛɛ eyi mli obɔ; (5) be ni hiɛ tsɔɔ shia; (6) jarayeli be ni bɛ hiŋmɛi nɔ.

BƆ NI etamɔ nii ni yɔɔ naakpɛɛ lɛ fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, yɛ gbɔmɛi fe 1,000 ni abibii amɛ saji yɛ Britania lɛ mli lɛ, amɛteŋ oha fɛɛ mli 6 pɛ susuɔ Blonya he akɛ be ko kɛha jamɔ titri. Nɔ ni tamɔɔɔ nakai lɛ, oha fɛɛ mli 48 susu Blonya he titri akɛ be ni akɛ weku hiɔ shi. Yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, mɛi pii maa nɔ mi akɛ eji be krɛdɛɛ kɛha gbekɛbii. Nɔ ni tsɔɔ nakai lɛ, beni abi gbekɛ yoo ko ni eye afii 11 lɛ nɔ ni esumɔɔ jogbaŋŋ yɛ Blonya he lɛ, eha hetoo akɛ: “Kanyamɔ lɛ, miishɛɛ henumɔ lɛ, [kɛ] nii ni akɛkeɔ.” The Making of the Modern Christmas lɛ kpɛlɛɔ nɔ akɛ, “ŋwanejee ko bɛ he akɛ nɔ titri ni amaa nɔ mi yɛ . . . ‘blema kusum’ ni ji Blonya he ji shia, weku lɛ, titri lɛ gbekɛbii lɛ.”

Shi anaigbɛ Kristendom mli titri Blonya bafeɔ weku sane, beni wekumɛi kpeɔ ni amɛkeɔ amɛhe nii. Yɛ maji ni Eastern Orthodox Sɔlemɔ lɛ mli bii ayi fa yɛ jɛmɛ lɛ, gbɔmɛi maa Easter nɔ mi babaoo; kɛlɛ Blonya be bafeɔ gbɛhamɔ be, be fɛɛ be.

“Jarayeli Nitsumɔ”

The New Encyclopædia Britannica lɛ kɛɔ akɛ Blonya “etee nɔ etsake ebatsɔ . . . jarayeli nii ni sa kadimɔ jogbaŋŋ.” Ekolɛ he ko he ko bɛ ni enɛ ji anɔkwale babaoo yɛ jɛmɛ fe Japan.

Washington Daily Record lɛ bɔ amaniɛ akɛ: “Japanbii eŋmɛɛ kwa ni amɛkwaa amɛfeɔ amɛhe mɛi ni sumɔɔ jamɔ lɛ fɛɛ he ni amɛtsake Blonya amɛfee lɛ jarayeli nitsumɔ titri.” Ekɛfata he akɛ, Blonya ni ayeɔ yɛ Japan lɛ ji “gbijurɔyeli wulu ko ni maa jarayeli nɔ mi titri ni emaa gbɛfaŋnɔ ni jamɔ tsuɔ yɛ mli lɛ nɔ mi fioo pɛ.”

Yɛ maji ni kɛɛ amɛji Kristofoi amaji lɛ ateŋ babaoo po mli lɛ, ewa yɛ bei pii amli akɛ aaana “gbɛfaŋnɔ ni jamɔ tsuɔ” nɛɛ po. Aaafee afii 40 ni eho nɛ lɛ, wolo bibioo ko ni akɛwieɔ ashiɔ Blonya ye awerɛho akɛ: “Jarayeli je lɛ haa Blonya heɔ gbɛi waa. Eji shika-namɔ be ni fe fɛɛ yɛ afi lɛ mli. Nitsumɔ-tsɛmɛi ni kɛɔ akɛ Kristofoi ji amɛ lɛ kpaa Blonya be lɛ gbɛ, jeee yɛ Kristo hewɔ, shi yɛ shika mli sɛɛnamɔ hewɔ.” Kwɛ bɔ ni nakai wiemɔi lɛ ji anɔkwale ha ŋmɛnɛ! Wɔshɛɛɛ afi lɛ naagbee nyɔji etɛ lɛ he jogbaŋŋ po kɛkɛ lɛ abɔi wɔbe ni eshwɛ ni esa akɛ ahe nikeenii aha Blonya ni baa lɛ kaimɔ. Ayeɔ jara waa yɛ be mli ni afi lɛ baa naagbee lɛ, ni shwapoi lɛ ajarayeli yɛ afi lɛ mli lɛ amlijaa ejwɛ mli ekome baa yɛ Blonya be mli.

Bɔ fɛɛ bɔ ni Blonya tsɔɔ kɛha bo bianɛ lɛ, ekolɛ ooojwɛŋ bɔ ni fee ni eje shishi lɛ he. Yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, ani Biblia lɛ fiɔ nii ni akeɔ yɛ Blonya mli lɛ sɛɛ? Ani ŋmɛnɛ Blonya gbijurɔyeli lɛ ji Kristofoi anifeemɔ lɛlɛŋ? Nyɛhaa wɔkwɛa.

[He ni Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 2 lɛ Jɛ]

Cover: Thomas Nast/Dover Publications, Inc., 1978