Sekuyiminyaka uKhisimusi uchazwa njengomkhosi wamaKristu wokugubha ukuzalwa kukaJesu. Nokho, amasiko amaningi enziwa lapho kugujwa lo mkhosi, enza sizibuze ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba ahlotshaniswe nokuzalwa kukaJesu.

Kukhona inganekwane kaSanta Claus. USanta Claus wanamuhla ohlale ehleka, onentshebe emhlophe nezihlathi ezibomvu, ogqoke izingubo ezibomvu wasungulwa ngo-1931 inkampani edayisa iziphuzo eNyakatho Melika esikhangisweni sayo esaphumelela kakhulu. Ngawo-1950 abanye abantu baseBrazil bazama ukukhangisa ngento eyayaziwa kakhulu kulelo zwe, uGrandpa Indian esikhundleni sikaSanta Claus. Waba yini umphumela? USanta Claus akagcinanga nje ngokuhlula uGrandpa Indian kodwa “wahlula noJesu oyingane futhi waba ummeleli osemthethweni wedili lango-December 25,” njengoba kusho uProfesa Carlos E. Fantinati. Kodwa ingabe izinganekwane ezifana noSanta Claus ziwukuphela kwento eyinkinga ngoKhisimusi? Ukuze sithole impendulo, ake sibuyele emuva ebuKristwini bangekhulu lokuqala.

I-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi: “Phakathi namakhulu amabili okuqala obuKristu, kwakuphikiswa kakhulu ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa zabafeli bokholo noma ukugujwa kosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu.” Kungani? AmaKristu ayebheka ukugujwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa njengesiko lamaqaba, into okwakumelwe igwenywe ngokuphelele. Empeleni iBhayibheli alivezi ukuthi uJesu wazalwa ngaluphi usuku.

Ngekhulu lesine leminyaka C.E., iSonto lamaKatolika lamisa umkhosi kaKhisimusi ngokusemthethweni ngisho noma amaKristu okuqala ayemelene ngokuqinile nesiko lokugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa. Isonto lalifuna ukuqikelela ukuthi lihlale liqinile ngokususa into eyayizoba isiphazamiso​—imikhosi yasebusika eyayithandwa kakhulu yezinkolo zobuqaba zaseRoma. I-Christmas in America, eyabhalwa uPenne L. Restad ithi, njalo ngonyaka kusukela ngo-December 17 kuya ku-January 1 “amaRoma amaningi ayedla, adlale, ajabule, ahambe emigwaqweni futhi ahlanganyele kweminye imikhosi njengoba edumisa onkulunkulu bawo.” Ngo-December 25 amaRoma ayegubha ukuzalwa kuka-Sol Invictus unkulunkulu welanga waseRoma. Ngokukhetha ukuba uKhisimusi ugujwe ngalolo suku, isonto lanxenxa amaRoma amaningi ukuba agubhe ukuzalwa kukaJesu kunokugubha usuku lokuzalwa kukankulunkulu welanga. AmaRoma “ayesakwazi ukujabulela le mikhosi yaphakathi nobusika,” kusho i-Santa Claus, a Biography, kaGerry Bowler. Empeleni, “aqhubeka egubha le mikhosi emisha ngendlela ayenza ngayo ngaphambili.”

Kuyacaca ukuthi le mikhosi kaKhisimusi ayifaneleki ngenxa yomsuka wayo. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Battle for Christmas, uStephen Nissenbaum uchaza uKhisimusi “njengomkhosi wamaqaba owenziwa sengathi umkhosi wamaKristu.” Ngakho uKhisimusi awumjabulisi uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu. Ingabe lena indaba engathi shu? IBhayibheli liyabuza: “Kunabudlelwane buni ukulunga nokungalungi na? Noma, ukukhanya kunasabelo sini nobumnyama?” (2 Korinte 6:14) Njengesiqu sesihlahla esigwegwile, uKhisimusi usonteke kangangokuba ‘awunakuqondiswa.’​—UmShumayeli 1:15.