Kan Ni Sunglawi Christma le December Thlirnak

 KAN NI SUNGLAWI CHRISTMAS LE DECEMBER THLIRNAK

Ting Hlei Thang

Țawngfang

Christmas timi țawnghram ih duhsancu “Christ’s mass” Khrih ih mipipawl ti a si. Himihi lailak  mirang țawng “Middle English” Christemasse le khuahlan Mirang țawng “Old English” Cristes mæsse ih ra a si. Himi cahlawm hi 1038 ah hmaisabik ngankhum a si. Himi “Old English” ih a hmanmi hi Greek țawng Christos le Latin țawng missa ih ra suak veve an si. Hlanlai Greek version thukamthar ah X(chi) timi cafang  hi “Christ” timi cafang hmaisabik a rak si, 16^th Century lai hrawng ihsin X, asilole Roman cafang X thawi a bangawmi ‘X’  hi “Christ” timi ngantawi ah an rak hmang.  Curuangah Christmas ti’h ngantu le Xmas ti’h ngantu kan um țheunak san a si.  Xmas ti’h ngan le Christmas ti’h ngan kan um bangin kan hman dan khal bangawlo celcel kan si.

Hmandaan

Hlanlai 7^th Century ih Anglo-Saxon Britain țawng “Old English” ti khalih an khawhmi a thlengawk hnu ah cun Christmas cu ‘geol’ timi leitlun thil lam zingzawinak thawn a rak pehtlaih aw sawn. Christian sihlan ih puai an rak hmanmi ih hmin tulai Mirang țawng ‘yule’ ih rami a si. ‘Yule’ ticu December le January thla kawm relnak ah an rak hmang țheu. Cutin 800 kum ih Christmas ni cu Charlemagne in cawimawinak nasatak a neihhnu in Christmas ni cu nuam teten mi ih theihlarmi ah a rungcang vivo. Hlanlai 12^th Century hrawngih Rome nunphung ‘Saturnalian’ tang pawl in Christmas ni 12 (the Twelve Days of Christmas) tin an thleng (December ni 26 - January ni 6). Cutin ‘Middle Ages’ hrawngah cun mikip theihmi puaipi ah a rungcang. Christmas ni a rung thlen cun Christmas thingkung tete phun in pakhat le pakhat lak sawng pe aw in lungawisopar ten an rak hmang țheu. Asinan kan hman dan pawl cu a bang aw lo nasa.  Christmas ni hi leitlun mitam sawn in Nimkut thla (December) ni 25 ah kan hmang. “Christmas Eve” Chrismas hlante ih hmanmi “Christmas a cuu” cu December ni 24 a si. United Kingdom le ram hrekkhat pawl ahcun “Boxding day” cu December ni 26 a si. Boxing Day ticu Christmas ni thluntu ni kha a si. Himi ni cu mirang țawng hmang ram țhenkhat pawl ih khawh dan a si. ‘Boxing Day’ timi țawngfang cu ‘Middle Ages’ kum 800 hrawng ih rak um a si. Kawhhran (Church) tampi in anmai ‘alms boxe’ mifarah le rethei hrang pek dingmi paisa an khawlnak thingkuang kha awngtahrat in Christmas ni țhehciah December ni 26 ah cui an thingkuang sungta paisa pawl suah in mifarah rethei pawl an pe țheu. Cucu ‘Boxing Day’ rasuahnak hram cu a si. Catholic rampawl ahcun ‘Saint Stephen’s Day’ Mithianghlim Stephen ih ni cu December ni 26 hi a si ve. ‘Eastern Orthodox Churches’ Kawhhran pawl cun December ni 25 hi Julian ih simmi vek in Julian Calendar cu tuitiang an hmang. Cui ni cu Gregorian calendar ih hmanmi January ni 7 hnak in a kau/tam sawn. Ziangahtile himi Calendars pahnih cu ni 13 a dangawk ruangah a si.

Christmas Ziangtikah An Rak Hmangthawk?

 Thuanthu le mithiam pawl ih canganmi zoh tik ah Christmas an rak hman thawk daan hi theihfel a har zet. Mithiam pakhat le pakhat an rel dan a bang aw lo ih an hmuh daan khal a bang aw lo. AD 321 ihsin Rom Siangpahrang Constatine in Christian sakhua hi Rom sakhua si dingah a rak thleng thawk ih Christian pawl a rak hum thawk. Cuiti’n Rom experor in an puai ropi bik a si mi ‘Natalis Solis Invicti’ cu Jesu Khrih ih suahni ah hmang sawn dingin a rak thleng. Cuti’n Rome Siangpahrang Ceaser Constantine in AD 325 ah Christmas a rak tuahthawk cucu leitlun ih Christmas a rak thawhkehnak a si ti’n mithiam tampi in an sim. Cucu a dik bik tla a si thei. Asinan AD 354 hlanah Christmas hman a rak si dah lo titu mithiam țhenkhat khal an um.

Kum zapi 4, A.D hrawngah December ni 25 hi Jesui suahcam a si ti’n hman a rak si rero zo ti cu kan thei. A.D 354 ah December ni 25 hi Jesui suahcam a si ti’n zingzawinak thawn cabu sungah ngankhum hmaisabik a rak si. Himi ca (document) hi ni 336 ummi Calendar sirhsanmi a si. (Herman Wegman, Christian Worship in East and West, New York: Pueblo Publishing, 1985, 103).

Ziangtin Christmas Puai Hi December 25 Ah A Ra Cang

(1) Rom ih leitlunmi pawl in a hmaisabik ‘Saturnalia’ ih cawlhumni (holiday) cu a hmaisabik theihternak an nei. Cumicu December ni 17 ihsin ni 25 tiang khi a si. Himi tikcu le ni pawl ahcun Rom khawpi ih zung tinkim khar thluh a si ih Rom a cozah daanpi khal in zohman sualman (punish) a pek dah lo. Himi puaipi cu Rome pawl ih an ral pawl an neh hnu thuneihnak hmuahhmuah an kutsung ih a um veten an Pathian ‘Lord of Misrule’ timi an thangthat sunlawihnak nak Puaipi a rak si. Rome pawl in taksa thinlung hahdam tei cawlnak ding le rualrem aw tei nuam zetih caan hmang dingin himi kar hi an rak hrilmi a si. Cule himi Puaipi cu December ni 25 ni ah an tawpter, an khar.

(2) Hlanlai Greek Biazai ngantu le thuanthu ngantu Lucian in Saturnalia ti thulu hmang in  a mai caan ah himi puai ih thlunmi a si tin a rak tarlang. Minung ih raithawinak neih a si laiah a mah thotho in himi nunphung pawl hi a tarlangbet: rit theihthil tlangzarhnak, kawr hruh lo ih innkhat hnu inn khat hlasak ih feh, duh lo cing ih mi kaihhrem le midang thawng nupa sinak hman le a thawzetmi minung vek ih tuahmi sangreu (biscuits) pawl an si. Himihi Mirang pawl hrekkhat in tunitiang a tuah an um ih German minung tampi in ‘German bakeriew’ timi sanreu hi Christmas tikcu caan ah tuini tiang a tuah an um.

(3) 4^th Century CE laiah Christian pawlin “Saturnalia festival” timi Saturnalia ih puaipi hmangtu leitlun mi pawl cu an hnenih hruai thei dingin ruahsannak an nei. A si, Christian hruaitu pawl cu an hlawhtling ih leitlunmi mitampi ih hmanmi Saturnalia puaipi cu Christiannak vekih hmang le puai tuah lan vivo thei dingin thukamnak thawn mitampi cu an hruai thei ngai.

(4) A pawimi pakhat cu Saturnalia ih thuhla, asinak pawl hi Christian pawlih relfel le theihfelmi zianghman a um lo. Curuangah himi Christian hruaitu pawl in Saturnalia ih thini cu December ni 25 asi tin Jesui suahni si ve ding ah an ti.

(5) Ziangkhal va si sehla Christian pawlcu hlawhtlinnak maltete an nei vivo. Saturnalia khal a takin an ti thiangfai in an tuah thei vivo. Stephen Nisssenbaum timi pa (University of Massachussetts, Amherst) ih zirhtu Saya a si mi in hitin a ngan : “Kawhhran in himi thu ahcun mancaan (holiday) hi a tam asilole a mal maw puai tuah ringring dingah lamzin thazetin a rak lungkim” a ti. Ahlanpi ah tla cun Christmas puai cu zu-innak, nupa sualtuahnak le lawngfangkheh in lamzin parih hlasak (Caroling vakih hlasak) tvk…in an rak hmang.

(6) 1687 ah himi thu zinzawi theitu upa pawl an hung pung vivo ih Zumtu hmaisa lam ih himi thu a zingzawitu pawl in December ni 25 cu Jesui suahni a si lo an ti. Asinan a zumlotu pawl in himi caan ah Saturnalia cu Rome ah a um a sisi tin Leitlunmi pawl ih cawlh-umni(holiday) cu Christian pawl ih ni sunglawi pakhat ah an can. A ngaingai cun hicu leitlunmi pawl ih ta a si. 1659 in 1681 karlak ah Christmas hi nasatak in an rak kham dah. Asinan ziangvek a vasi khalle Christmas cu Christian pawl in tuini tiang puaipi tuah in an hmang rero lai.

December Ni 25 Hi Zisui Suah Caan A Si NgaiNgai Maw?

Himi thu hi cu tuini tiang thufiang lo le theihfel lomi a si tikah mihrek in April ni 6 hi a suahni sawn ti an um ih ni 17 sawn a zumtu tla an um. May 14 ah suak titla an um ih Septembet thla ah a suak titu tla an um fawn. Hipawl ih zumdan le ruahdaan pawl cu a cipciar in ka tarlang man lo ding nan December ni 25 parih mithiam pawl le zingzawitu pawl ih hmuhsuahmi le ruah dan tete kan zoh ding.

Zumdan Hrekkhat

Himihi thufiang lo a si ih zosaw hi caan ah Jesu a suak ti’h thuthluknak rak tuah rengreng?  Hlanlai Zumtu hmaisa pawl in AD 440 tiangah December ni 25 hi Jesui suahni tin kawhhran ah than tahratin an rak hmang dah lo. Himi cu biaknak lam ih rak thawkmi asilo leitlunmipawl ih puai ihsin ra suak a si. A tlunih tarlang zo bangin hlanlai Babylon puithiam pawl hnen ihsin Rome mipawl hnenah an nunphung kilkhawinak Saturnalia a si. December ni 25 cu leitlun pathian ih suahni sawn a si. Bible ih dungthluntu pawl in an rak simcia zumtu pawlcu an biaknak hnak in leitlunmipawl ih thil tuahmi nawmnak le bawmnak pawl an thlun ding. Curuangah Christian pawl in leitlunmi pawl ih puaipi December ni 25 hi duh sinsin ding in le kawhhran in hi tikcu caan ih puaipi tuah sinsin ding in le ngaina sinsin dingin mifimthiam țhenkhat cun an ruat. Leitlunmipawl cu himi ni ih puai tuah ding cun an tiar cia ringring. Bible rori in December ni 25 cu Jesui suahni a si lo tin in sim.

December thla ahcun Palestine ram cu a dai tuk lawmam.  Himi a daihtuk caan ah mitampi cu cawhkuan tawng lo ding in mipum siarnak ih hmin pe ding ah anmai suahnak khua ciar ah an feh. Tukhal pawl tla an tukhalnak loram ah an rak um (Luke 2:8-12). Thlatang caan ah tukhal pawl loram ah an um dah lo. Tukhal pawl cu March thla ihsin October thla thawk nak tiang lawng loram ah umin tu an khal țheu. Curuangah Jesui suahcan cu ‘spring’ tikcu thlatang cem ih țhal thawkpek nak hrawng a si ding”.

The Complete Book of American Holidays, khalin hitin a sim. “Jesu hi țhal asilole a thawkpek hrawngih suak a si thei. Ziangahtile Judah ram ahcun December thla cun ruahsurin a dai tuk zo, hihi tukhal pawlin an Tuu pawl hrangah riahbuk zanah a hmu zo tithawn a bangaw. (P.309).

Cuvek thotho in, The Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary khalin hitin a sim. “December ni 25 cu tukhal pawlih zaanih an tukhal dingah a tikcu caan in a pe lo tuk” tin a sim.

Cun pakhat leh cu, Jesui Nu le Pa cu Bethlehem ih mipumsiarnakih hminkhum dingah an feh. (Luke 2:1-4). Hi mipum siarnak hi thlatang laifang boruak dai le a nawmlo lai fangah tuahmi a si lo. Himi cu leitlun thil hi Christianity ih thleng ding duhnak le leitlun thil thawi tahțhimin cuini cu December 25 a si tin a thluak ih fiangtei thei ding  men a si. (William Walsh, the Story of Santa Klaus, 190, P. 62).

 Cun hitin simfiang tla an um. Jesu cu kum 33.5 a dam ih Lantakpuai ah a thi ti cu kan thei țheh ko. Cuicaan cu ‘Easter’ tikcu March lole April thla ih Zarhpi thawhsal tikcu khi a si. Hlanlai ih cangantu pawl hnen ihsin himi thu hman lomi December ni 25 hi Jesui suahni a si lo ti a theihtheih. Baptist petu John khal in December ni 25 hi Jesui suahni a si lo ti nemnhngetnak ah in bawm thei.

Elizabeth (John ih Nu) cu Mari ih sungkhat a si. Tiberius Caesar ih kum 15 kim ah Baptist petu John cu rawngbawl hna a thawk. A rawngbawl nak hi a tlangpi thu cun kum 30 hrawng a si. Augustus hi Tiberius ih sinak lal hna a tuan kum AD 14, August 19 ah a thi. Baptist petu John hi BC 2, April 19-20 ih a suak asile a kum 30 suahni cu AD 29, April 19-20 asilole Tiberius ih kum 15 kimnak a si ding.

Elizabeth (John ih Nu) ih naupai thlaruk hnuah Jesu cu Marry sungah pai a si. (Luke 1:24-36). Himi hin Jesui suahtikcu awmangtawk a fiang. Abijah puithiam phun sungih a tel vemi puithiam Zacharias (John ih pa) cu Jerusalem temple ah puithiam hna a tuan rero. (Luke 1:5). Hicanih puithiam pawl hnatuan dan hi thuanthu ih ti duhsan le ruah dan vekih kan zoh asile khai kumih Jerusalem temple sungih an luh can hi June 13-19 ah a si. (The companion Bible, 1974, Appendix 179, p. 200).

Zacharias cun hi tikcu caan Biakinn sungih puithiam hna a țuan laifangah a nupi Elizabeth in nau a rak pai ding ti’n a ruat ve ding. (Luke 1:8-13). Biakinn sungih a hnatuan tikcu a cem tikah Zekhariah cu innah a tlung. Tawnkfang a rei tikah a nupi Elizabeth cu fa a vawn. (cang 23-14). Curuangah John hi June thlah ih paimi asi ahcun thla kua bet awla March thla ih suak ti theih a si.  Jesu le John ih suak karlakah danglamnak a ummi hin Jesu cu September ah a suak ding ti zumnak a tam zet.

 Zumdan Hrekkhat

Cangantu pakhat cun hitin a ngan ve. ‘Khuahlan Rom bishop pawlih ngankhumnak cabu sungah AD 336 ihta ah 25 December: Natus Christus in Betleem Judeae’ ti’n atican cu December ni 25 ah Khrih cu Judea ram, Bethlehem ah a suak tinak a si.

Felfai zetih zingzawi hnuah ahmaisabik ahman ti’h ruahmi cu, Julius (337-325), Rome ih Bishop cun December ni 25 ah Jesu a suak a si, asilole December ni 25 hi kan nunphung thawn khal a hman bik le a tha bik a si. (John Chrysostom, Homil. Diem Natal., 2; PL, 49, 552ff.)

Chrysostom in December ni 25 hi a hmanmi Ni a si ti’n Roman hmin cazin khumnak ah official in thuthlunak tuahin a rak ngankhum. Ziang avasi khalle, himi thu cu fiangfel ih theih a um lo ticu thuhman a si. Rome ah Rundamtui suahcam hi theihfel a si lo ih leitlunah nunphung bangawlo le ruahnak umnak bangaw lo hlir kan si. (F. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs – New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1958 61).

Cun hiti’h sim tla an um. Puithiam Zekhariah ih Puithiam hna a țuan tikcu hi September thla sawn a si. Curuangah Baptist petu John cu September thla ih paimi a si ti a theih. September cu thlakua bet awla John hi June thla ah a suak ti theih a si. Jesu cu John hnakin thalruk a nauhak (Luke 1:26) asile Jesu cu December thla ah a suak ti theih a si. Cun “Jesu cu kum 33 a dam ih a thihni ihsin dungkir ih nithla siar vivo tikah December ni 25 ciah ah a suak” tiih simfiang tla an um.

A tikcu a daih le daih lo thuah “life & Work Pursuits” cun hitin a sim. Bible in Jesui suahcan ziangtik a si tihi a sim tummi a si lo. Asinan a cang theibikih ruahmi cu, tukhal pawl hin thlatang can (Spring) caanah lo (an tu khalhnak) hmunah an um theu tihi a si. In 1998-1999 winter issue of “Life & Work Pursuits”, a Christian quarterly, on page 35, lines 33-35.

Russellists in “December thla hi Jesui suahcan a si thei lo lawlaw, ziangahtile hi tikcu caanah vur a tam tuk a dai tukih tukhal pawl cu hi caanah tukhalpawl an tukhalnak loramah an um thei lo lawlaw ding” a timi tla cu thuphan lawlaw a si. Israel rampi asau lam le a kohlam hi saklam ihsin thlanglam peng 390 a si. Nan hliakhlai thei ngai kem? Kei hitawk Encyclopedia ah ka um. The World Book Encyclopedia, copyright 1947, volume 10, page 390 ah the climate of Israel cun a sim.

“January thla hi a daihbik thla a si, cuicanah atlangpithu (average) in Saklam Galilee ah temperature hi 45° F (7° C) a si. Cun vawrhlam horkuam lamah 60° F (16° C) a si. Saklam tlangtluan lamah cun thlatang zikzik vekin ni hnihkhat cu a um țheu. Thlatang pumhlum deuh thawin ruah a sur, cule saklam ihsin thlanglam ah a țumsuk țheu. Vur cu saklam le Israel ram laitak hrawngah a ­­tla țheu. January hi Israel ah a daih bik thla a si, December a si lo a daih bik thla January hmanah saklam ahcun temperature cu 45° F (7° C) lawng a si. Curuangah a dai tuk lawmam lo tin” a sim. Cubetah saklam ram khalah a daihtuk can cu vawihnih khat lawng a si, kumtin a si lo. Vur tlak dan khalah saklam ram le Israel ram a laitak fang hrawnglawngah Vur a tla theu. Jesui suahnak Bethlehem lamah a si lo.

Volum 11, page 77 ih kan feh asile Jerusalem ah a daih bik thla January ah a daih le sat ah (average 55° F (13° C) a si. Hmanteih rel ahcun December cu a daih deuh thla cu a si ko. Asinan thlanglam Jerusalem  ih sin peng nga tluk hla ih ummi Bethlehem cu temperature cu a bangaw tengteng ding. (Volume 2, page 214).

Rel ding tam a um lai ding nan an thucuhawknak (debate) cu kan rel tum bikmi a si lo ruangah cangantui ruahdan malte kan zoh ta hnik pei.

Cangantui Hmuhdan

Ziang avasi hmanah tlun lamih tarlang zo bangin leitlun minung tambikih Christmas hman ni cu Dcember ni 25 hi a si. December ni 25 hi Jesui suahcam cu a si lo men thei nan Christmas ni a si ti cu el theih lo a si. December ni 25 ih Christmas hmangtu pawl khalin hi ni ah Jesu a suak rori cu kan ti țheh cuang lo ding tiah cangantu cun zumnak a nei.  Tulaiah nauhak te khalin December ni 25 thu cu awmangtawk kan thei țheh zo tin ka ruat. Curuangah December ni 25 hi Jesui suahcam a si lamlamlo, Christmas tla ni 25 kher ih tuah a țullo ti’h au rero khal țul in ka thei lemlo. A dang April, May le September thla ah a suak titu pawl khal an zumnak men hlir a si fawn. Thudik le fel a um cuang fawn lo. Theihciazo vekin Christmas ticu Jesui suahni tinak le a si cuang fawn si lo. December ni 25 ih Jesui suahcam lawm Christma tuah hi a țhazet ti’n cangantu cun a ruat. December ni 25 Christmas tuah lo sehla ziangtikah saw kan tuah cuang ke? December ni 25 ih tuah teh a sualnak um in na thei maw? Lungrual le hmunkhat tei December ni 25 ih kan hman thei hi a tha tuk ko lo mw?  Laimi pawl kan lung ruallo tinak lakah Chrimas vivo bangawlo celcel ih hmang dingih zirhawk cu a suallo men ding nan a țha ciamco lem pei maw? Kan nunphungih puaipi pakhat tlukah kan thinlung in a ruat fawn. Kan Christiannak khalin a sualnak a um cuang fawn lo. Kan Biak Pathian le kan Bible in Rundamtui suahcam cu December thla ih lawm hi a do lo ti hi kan theih fiang sinsin dingah ka duh fawn.

December a rung thlen tikah ahleicein kan nih Laimi pawl cu khuihmun khui ram ka thlen khalah kan thinlung a thar, suahsemnak kan lairam kan ngai cio. Tu tikcu ahcun kan semnak lairam te ahcun a dai zet thlang dingih lungduhza tla an nuam zet thlang ding ti’n kan thinlung cu semnak Lairam lam hlirah a feh. Lunglen a tho sal ringring. Biakinn tinah Farkung mawitete hmuh ding a um, inn hrekkhat pawl mawizetih cawi an si ih nauhak pawltla lungawi siamsi le mithmai pan te thawi thuamhnaw thar tete hrukin Rundamtui suahcam lawmin an hni an khek hi ziangtluk in  zoh a mawi? Thin a thar Rundamtui suahcam lawmni December a thlen tikah. Falam ah tla cun December ni 1 a rung kim tikah “Sweet December” timi catar tete hmun tinah hmuh ding a um. Baptist biakinn pi ihsin Thuthangtha sim in le Zaihla thawn Falam khaw pumpi in awi. A theitu in ngai lole duh lo um hai kei maw? Siartu zaten Rundamtui suahcam lungawi aipuang te le sungkim tei hmang thei dingin kan Biak Pathian in thlawsuah malza lo sawm cio hramseh! Amen.