IKrismesi ibisoloko isaziwa njengetheko lamaKristu lokuzalwa kukaYesu. Izinto ezenziwa kweli theko zisenza sizibuze ukuba lidibana njani nokuzalwa kukaYesu.

Kukho ubuxoki obudumileyo bukaFather Christmas. Abantu bavuyiswa nguFather Christmas oneentshebe ezinde ezimhlophe nezidlele ezibomvu ekuthiwa yeyona ntengiso yeKrismesi eyayithandwa neyayenziwe yinkampani yezinto eziselwayo ekuMantla eMerika ngo-1931. Kwiminyaka yoo-1950, abanye abemi baseBrazil bazama ukusebenzisa uGrandpa Indian endaweni kaFather Christmas. Kwenzeka ntoni emva koko? UProfesa Carlos E. Fantinati uthi, uFather Christmas woyisa uGrandpa Indian, wada “woyisa nosana olunguYesu kwaza kwasetyenziswa yena kwimibhiyozo yetheko likaDisemba 25.” Ngaba iintsomi ezifana nekaFather Christmas kuphela kwengxaki yeKrismesi? Ukuze sikwazi ukuphendula lo mbuzo, makhe sithethe ngamaKristu okuqala.

IEncyclopedia Britannica ithi: “Kwiinkulungwane ezimbini zokuqala, amaKristu ayengafuni nokuyibona into yokukhumbula imihla yokuzalwa kwabantu abafela ukholo, nkqu nowokuzalwa kukaYesu.” Kwakutheni? Ayesithi ukubhiyozela imihla yokuzalwa bubuhedeni yaye kumele kungenziwa tu. Xa sithetha inyani, akukho nenye ivesi yeBhayibhile ethetha ngomhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu.

Nakubeni amaKristu ayeyimele into yokungabhiyozelwa kwemihla yokuzalwa, ngenkulungwane yesine iCawa yamaKatolika yaqalisa ukwenza iKrismesi. Ingafuni ukuphelelwa ngamarhamente, le cawa yaphelisa eyona nto yayibangela ukuba ingathandwa—iicawa zobuhedeni zaseRoma ezazidumile kunye nokwenziwa kwamatheko okuzalwa kwelanga. Ngokutsho kwencwadi iChristmas in America kaPenne L. Restad, nyaka ngamnye ukususela ngoDisemba 17 de kube ngoJanuwari 1, “amaRoma amaninzi ayesenza izidlo ezikhulu, edlala, ebhiyoza, esenza imiboniso. Ayede abekho nakwamanye amatheko njengoko ayehlonipha oothixo bawo.” NgoDisemba 25, ayebhiyozela ukuzalwa kweLanga Elingoyiswayo. Ngolu suku icawa yaqalisa ukwenza iKrismesi, yaza yanyanzelisa amaRoma amaninzi ukuba abhiyozele ukuzalwa kukaYesu kunokuzalwa kwelanga. Incwadi ethi Santa Claus, a Biography, kaGerry Bowler ithi: AmaRoma “ayesazinandipha izinto ezazisenziwa kule mibhiyozo yexesha lasebusika.” Ngeliphandle, “ayeqhubeka nalo mbhiyozo mtsha ngeendlela zawo zakudala.”

Kucacile ke ukuba eyona ngxaki ngezinto ezenziwa ngeKrismesi yindlela embi ezaqala ngayo. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Battle for Christmas, uStephen Nissenbaum uthi iKrismesi “ngumbhiyozo wabahedeni owenziwa egameni lobuKristu.” Ngoko ke iKrismesi iyamnyelisa uThixo noNyana wakhe uYesu Kristu. Ngaba le yinto nje engenamsebenzi? IBhayibhile inalo mbuzo: “Bunabudlelane buni na ubulungisa nokuchas’ umthetho? Okanye kunakwabelana kuni na ukukhanya nobumnyama?” (2 Korinte 6:14) Njengesibonda somthi esigoso, iKrismesi igoso kakhulu kangangokuba ayinakwenziwa ‘ithi tye [ayinakulungiseka].’—INtshumayeli 1:15.