UKresimusi bekasolo ahlathululwa ngokuthi lisiko lamaKrestu lokugidinga ukubelethwa kwakaJesu. Nanyana kunjalo, imiphakathi eminengi igidinga umnyanya lo ngamasiko amanengi, begodu lokho kusenza sizibuze ukuthi amasiko la ahlangana njani nokubelethwa kwakaJesu.

Ngokwesibonelo, kunenolwana kaFather Christmas. Namhlanjesi uFather Christmas wenza izinto ezihlekisako, uneendevu ezimhlophe, imihlathi ibovu, umbethe isudu ebovu. Waphumelela khulu nakhungangiswa ngaye ekhampanini ethengisa iinselo yeNorth America ngo-1931. Kwathi ngabo-1950, abanye abantu beBrazil balinga ukujamiselela uFather Christmas ngomuntu wenolwaneni obizwa bona nguGrandpa Indian. Waba yini umphumela walokho? UPhrofesa Carlos E. Fantinati uthi, uFather Christmas akhenge adume ukudlula uGrandpa Indian kwaphela, kodwana “waduma ukudlula umntwana onguJesu, begodu abantu nebabona yena bacabanga ngomnyanya kaDisemba 25.” Kghani inolwana kaFather Christmas ngiyo kwaphela emraro? Bona sifumane ipendulo, akhesibuyele emva emaKrestwini wekadeni.

I-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi, “phakathi kweminyaka emakhulu amabili yokuphila kwamaKrestu wokuthoma kwakhe kwaba nepikiswano ekulu ngendaba yokugidingwa kwamalanga wokubelethwa kwabantu abafela ubuKrestu, ngitjho nelokubelethwa kwakaJesu imbala.” Kubayini? Ngombana amaKrestu bekaqala ukugidingwa kwelanga lamabeletho njengesiko labarhedeni, into ebekufuze bangayenzi ngokupheleleko. Iqiniso kukuthi eBhayibhelini ilanga lamabeletho kaJesu alikho.

Nasele kudlule iminyaka emakhulu amathathu uJesu afile, naphezu kwegadango elathathwa maKrestu wekadeni lokuthi bangawagidingi amalanga wamabeletho, iSonto lamaKatolika lasungula uKresimusi. Isonto belifuna ukuqinisa isikhundla salo ngokutjhidisa isiqabo esikhulu endlelenaso—ukuduma kwekolo yamaRoma yobuqaba yokugidinga ebusika ilanga elifitjhani ukuwadlula woke. I-Christmas in America, etlolwe nguPenne L. Restad ithi: “Inengi lamaRoma belipheka ukudla okunengi, kudliwe, kudlalwe imidlalo, kumatjhwe, begodu kugidingwe neminye iminyanya njengombana bathandaza abosingazimu babo.” Lokho bekwenzeka qobe mnyaka, kusukela ngoDisemba 17 ukuya ngoJanabari 1. Ukusungulwa kwakaKresimusi ngelangelo, bekuzokwenza amaRoma amanengi agcine sele agidinga amabeletho kaJesu kunokobana agidinge ukubelethwa kwelanga. Incwadi i-Santa Claus, a Biography, etlolwe nguGerry Bowler ithi, amaRoma “bewakuthabela ukwenza iminyanya ebusika.” Eqinisweni, “aragela phambili agidinga ilanga elitjha ngamasiko amadala.”

Kuyakhanya-ke ukuthi umraro oyihloko wokugidingwa kwakaKresimusi uvela emasikweni woburhedeni. Encwadinakhe i-The Battle for Christmas, uStephen Nissenbaum uthi, uKresimusi “mgidi wobuqaba ombeswe ngerharideni lobuKrestu.” Yeke, uKresimusi uhlazisa uZimu neNdodanakhe, uJesu Krestu. Kghani lokhu kuyindaba engatjho litho? IBhayibheli liyabuza: “Kunabudlelwano bani phakathi kwabalungileko nabangakalungi na? Namkha kunahlanganyelo bani phakathi komkhanyo nobumnyama na?” (2 Korinte 6:14) Njengesiqu somuthi esikhule sasongana, uKresimusi ‘usongene’ kangangokuthi angekhe usonguluke.—UMtjhumayeli 1:15.