Krisimasi—kodi Nchifukwa Ninji Iri Yotchuka Kwambiri M’japani?
KUKHULUPIRIRA Bambo Krisimasi kuli kofala pakati pa ana m’dziko la Japani la Chibuda ndi Chishinto. Mu 1989, ana a ku Japani analemba makalata 160,000 opita kwa Santa World mu Sweden. Palibe dziko lina lirilonse limene linatumiza makalata ochuluka motero. Iwo analemba makalatawo akumayembekezera kukhutiritsa chikhumbo cha mtima wawo, kaya chikhale choseŵeretsa cha “Kompyuta Yazithunzithunzi” ya 18,000-yen ($136, U.S.) kapena maseŵera a video a 12,500-yen ($95, U.S.).
Kwa asungwana achichepere a ku Japani, kupita kocheza ndi mwamuna pa Usiku wotsatizana ndi tsiku la Krisimasi kumakhala ndi tanthauzo lapadera. Mainichi Daily News ikunena kuti: “Malinga ndi kupenda kwa akazi achichepere, 38 peresenti ananena kuti anapanga kale makonzedwe akupita kocheza Usiku wotsatizana ndi tsiku la Krisimasi mwezi umodzi pasadakhale.” Amuna achichepere amakhala ndi zolinga zoipa zofunira kukhala ndi asungwana awo pa Usiku wotsatizana ndi tsiku la Krisimasi. “Lingaliro labwino ndilo kupempherera pamodzi mwakachetechete ndi msungwana wako,” anapereka lingaliro lotero magazini a amuna achichepere. “Mukachitire zimenezo kumalo abwino. Posakhalitsa unansi wanu udzakhala wathithithi.”
Amuna okwatira a ku Japani amayembekezeranso kupempha mphamvu zamatsenga mwa mwambo wawo wa Krisimasi wakugula “keke yokongoletsedwa ndi zipatso” pobwerera kunyumba kuchokera kuntchito. Kubweretsa mphatsoyo kumalingaliridwa kukhala kulipira kunyalanyaza banja komwe kunachitidwa chaka chonsecho.
Ndithudi, Krisimasi yazika mizu pakati pa nzika za Japani zosakhala Akristu. Kwenikwenidi, 78 peresenti ya awo amene anapendedwa ndi sitolo lalikulu logulitsa zinthu zosiyanasiyana ananena kuti amachita chinthu chapadera pa Krisimasi. Chiŵerengerocho nchachikulu m’dziko mmene 1 peresenti yokha ya anthuwo amanena kuti amakhulupirira Chikristu. Ngakhale kuti amadzitcha kukhala Abuda kapena Ashinto, iwo amasangalala ndi tchuthi “Chachikristu.” M’bukhu lake lapachaka lokhala ndi madeti ofunika, pamodzi ndi mapwando a ku Japani, kachisi wotchuka wa Shinto Ise amandandalika December 25 monga “tsiku lobadwa Kristu.” Komabe, zochitika zosakhala Zachikristu zakukondwerera Krisimasi zimadzutsa funso ili:
Kodi Krisimasi Ndichikondwerero cha Yani?
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary imamasulira Krisimasi kukhala “madyerero Achikristu a pa December 25 . . . amene amakumbukira kubadwa kwa Kristu.” Alingaliridwa kukhala nthaŵi imene “Akristu amagwirizanitsa malingaliro awo a chimwemwe patsiku lobadwa Kristu.”
Awo amene amakondwerera Krisimasi kukhala phwando lenileni lachipembedzo angawone awo amene amalipanga kukhala tsiku lakudziko mwakusekerera ndi kupereka mphatso kukhala okwiyitsa ndipo ngakhale amwano. Nzika ya Amereka yokhala ku Japani inalemba kuti: “M’Japani tiri ndi malonda opanda ulemu kotheratu: kulibe Kristu.” Munthu wina polemba za Krisimasi ya ku Japani anati: “Kwa anthu a Kumadzulo, sali piru [amene samapezekapezeka m’misika ya ku Japani] amene amasoŵa, koma chinthu chofunika koposa, tanthauzo lenileni [la Krisimasi].”
Pamenepo, kodi tanthauzo lenileni la Krisimasi nchiyani? Kodi ndilo mkhalidwe wa utumiki watchalitchi wokhala ndi nyimbo zachikondwerero, mitengo yobiriŵira ya holly, ndi makandulo, amene anthu ambiri amawagwiritsira ntchito paulendo umodzi wokha wonka ku tchalitchi pa chaka? Kapena kodi liri chikondi, kusangalala, ndi kupereka mphatso komwe kumasonkhezera ambiri kukhala ooloŵa manja? Kodi liri bata lomwe limakhalapo pamabwalo ankhondo pamene asirikali amasunga masiku oŵerengeka a “mtendere padziko lapansi”?
Modabwitsa, kaŵirikaŵiri tanthauzo lenileni la Krisimasi limalephera kubweretsa mtendere ngakhale panyumba. Malinga ndi kupenda kwa mu 1987 kochitidwa m’Mangalande, kunayerekezeredwa kuti ‘nkhondo yachiweniweni’ ikaulika m’nyumba zokwanira 70 peresenti za ku Briteni panthaŵi ya Krisimasi chaka chimenecho. Kumenyanirana ndalama ndiko kunali chochititsa chachikulu. Kuledzera ndi kusakwaniritsa mathayo ako m’banja kunalinso chochititsa chotsogolera cha kumenyanako.
“Ndimakaikira ngati sitikuphonya chinthu china ponena za tanthauzo lenileni la Krisimasi,” analemba motero munthu Wakumadzulo wokhala ku Japani amene anachezera dziko lake panyengo ya Krisimasi posachedwapa. “Pa Dec. 25 paliponse, ndimalakalaka kubwerera ku Krisimasi ya nthaŵi zakale—dzoma lachikunja lomwe linali kukondwerera kutha kwa nyengo yachisanu mwakulambira mitengo ndi kuchita madyerero. Tikali nazobe zokometsera zachikunja—mitengo ya mistletoe, holly, nkungudza ndi ina yotero—koma Krisimasi yasinthiratu kuyambira pamene inatengedwa ndi Akristu ndi kusinthidwa kukhala phwando lachipembedzo.”
Mosakaikirika, Krisimasi nditchuthi chachikunja. Akristu oyambirira sanaikondwerere “chifukwa chakuti analingalira kukondwerera kubadwa kwa munthu kukhala mwambo wachikunja,” ikutero The World Book Encyclopedia. Mapwando achikunja a Saturnalia ndi Chaka Chatsopano anali magwero a kusekerera ndi kupatsana mphatso.
Ngati Krisimasi ili yachikunja, Akristu owona ayenera kufunsa funso lakuti, Kodi Krisimasi nja Akristu? Tiyeni tiwone zimene Baibulo limanena ponena za kukondwerera tsiku lobadwa la Kristu.
[Bokosi patsamba 4]
Chiyambi cha Kukondwerera Krisimasi
Ngakhale kuti tsatanetsatane weniweni anasakanikirana m’zinthu zakale, zisonyezero zimawonetsa kuti pofika chaka cha 336 C.E., mpangidwe wa Krisimasi unali kukondwereredwa ndi tchalitchi cha Roma. The New Encyclopædia Britannica ikulongosola kuti: “Deti la Krisimasi linaikidwa dala pa December 25 kukankhira pambali phwando lalikulu la mulungu dzuŵa.” Panthaŵiyo mpamene akunja anamwerekera m’zakumwa ndi kusanguluka pamapwando onse aŵiri a Saturnalia Yachiroma ndi phwando la Chicelt ndi Chijeremani lokumbukira kutha kwa nyengo yachisanu. The New Caxton Encyclopedia imanena kuti “Tchalitchi chinatenga mwaŵi wakusintha mapwandowa kukhala Achikristu.”