Nubwo mu Bwongereza no mu bindi bihugu byinshi by’i Burayi ari ko babigenza, amateka agaragaza ko uko kwizihiza Noheli kwanyuze mu bihe byinshi bitandukanye, kukagenda guhinduka, kongerwamo n’indi mico, kugeza ku isura ifatwa uyu munsi nk’iya “Noheli ya gakondo”.

Itariki ya Noheli n’igihe cyayo

Nta gihamya ihamye igaragaza itariki Yesu yavukiyeho. Icyakora, inyandiko zo mu mwaka wa 354 zerekana ko Kiliziya yatangiye kugena ku mugaragaro itariki ya 25 Ukuboza nk’itariki yo kwizihiza ivuka rya Yesu, bishoboka ko byatangiye no mu mwaka wa 336.

Ibi byaje kujyana no gushyiraho igihe cya Noheli (Christmastide), kigizwe n’iminsi 12 itangira ku munsi wa Noheli ikarangira ku munsi wa Epifaniya (ku wa 5 cyangwa 6 Mutarama, bitewe n’imibare ikoreshwa).

Epifaniya yaje kwibandwaho cyane nk’umunsi wo kwibuka uruzinduko rw’Abanyabwenge (Magi) basuye Yesu. Iki gihe cyakurikiwe na Candlemas (ku wa 2 Gashyantare), wibukirwaho kwegurirwa Imana kwa Yesu mu rusengero rw’i Yerusalemu.

Itangwa rya Yesu cyangwa kumwegurira Imana mu rusengero rw’i Yerusalemu, ryabaye hakurikijwe amategeko ya Mose, nk’uko bisomwa muri Luka 2:22–24. Nyuma y’iminsi 40 avutse, Yozefu na Mariya bajyanye umwana Yesu i Yerusalemu kugira ngo bamuture Uwiteka no kugira ngo Mariya asohoze umuhango wo kwiyeza wari uteganyijwe ku mugore ubyaye.

Mu mategeko, umwana w’imfura w’umuhungu yabaga uw’Uwiteka, bityo akaba agomba kumwgurirwa, hanyuma ababyeyi bagatanga igitambo. Abari bifite bagombaga gutanga umwana w’intama, ariko abatishoboye bemererwaga gutanga inyoni ebyiri (inuma cyangwa intungura). Yozefu na Mariya bo batanze inyoni ebyiri, bigaragaza ko bari abantu batifite cyane.

Muri urwo rusengero, bahuye n’abantu babiri b’ingenzi: Simeyoni, wari warasezeraniwe n’Umwuka Wera ko atazapfa atarabona Kristo w’Imana. Afashe Yesu mu maboko ye, yashimiye Imana avuga ko noneho ashobora gupfa amahoro kuko amubonye. Undi ni Ana, umupfakazi w’umuhanuzi, na we yashimiye Imana atangira kuvuga Yesu ko ari we uzazana ugucungurwa kwa Yerusalemu.

Noheli mu gihe cyo hagati (Medieval Period)

Mu kinyejana cya cyenda, umwami Alfred yashyizeho itegeko ribuza gukoresha abagaragu mu minsi 12 ya Noheli, bigaragaza ko icyo gihe Noheli yari itangira ry’igihe cy’ibirori, aho kuba iherezo ryabyo. Mbere ya Noheli habagaho Adiventi, igihe cyo kwifata no kwiyiriza, kikavaho ku munsi wa Noheli hakabaho iminsi yo kwishimana no gusangira.

Ijambo “Christesmas” ryatangiye kugaragara mu nyandiko mu mwaka wa 1038. Mbere yaho, Noheli yitwaga “Middelwinter” mu Cyongereza cya kera, naho mu duce twari twaratuwe n’Abavikingi yitwaga “Yule”, rifitanye isano n’imihango ya gipagani yo kwizihiza imbeho n’ihinduka ry’igihe.

Mu mwaka wa 1223, Mutagatifu Fransisko wa Asizi yatangije ku mugaragaro igikorwa cyo kwerekana ivuka rya Yesu mu buryo bwa Nativity Scene, cyangwa ibice bigize ivuka rya Yesu, kikaba ari ho inkomoko y’amakinamico ya Noheli yo muri iki gihe.

Indirimbo, imitako n’imyidagaduro

Indirimbo za Noheli (carols) zatangiye nk’indirimbo zijyana n’imbyino, zaba iz’idini cyangwa izisanzwe. Mu ngo z’abakire n’izo mu nsengero, habagaho “Lords of Misrule” cyangwa “Boy Bishops”, aho abana cyangwa abantu bo hasi bahabwaga ubuyobozi bw’agateganyo mu birori bya Noheli, mu rwego rwo guhindura inshingano zisanzwe.

Imitako ikozwe mu mashami y’ibiti bisa icyatsi yazanywaga mu nsengero no mu ngo, bikaba byaragiranye isano n’imico ya kera ya gipagani yaje gushyirwa mu murongo wa gikristo.

Noheli yarahagaritswe

Nyuma y’ivugurura rya kiliziya (Reformation), bamwe mu baporotesitanti babonye imigenzo ya Noheli nk’itagira ishingiro muri Bibiliya, cyangwa ifitanye isano n’Ubukirisitu Gatolika. Mu myaka ya 1640–1650, Abapuritani mu Bwongereza babujije Noheli burundu: insengero zarafunzwe, amaduka arafungurwa nk’aho ari umunsi usanzwe, imitako irabuzwa, ndetse na Father Christmas bamwe bita Père Noël arirukanwa.

Ibi byateje imyigaragambyo mu mijyi itandukanye, ariko Noheli yaje gusubizwaho mu mwaka wa 1660, nyuma y’igaruka ry’ubwami. Muri Ecosse ho, Noheli yabaye umunsi w’ikiruhuko rusange gusa mu 1958.

Noheli ya none ivuka

Mu kinyejana cya 19, cyane cyane mu gihe cy’Abavictoria, Noheli yongeye kubyuka mu buryo bushya. Prince Albert yazanye umuco w’igiti cya Noheli, naho igitabo cya Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol” (1843), cyagize umumaro mu gusubiza Noheli mu muryango no mu bikorwa by’urukundo n’impuhwe.

Icyo gihe ni na bwo hatangiye amakarita ya Noheli, (crackers), n’imigenzo yo guhana impano ku munsi wa Noheli aho kuba ku munsi wa mbere w’umwaka.

Noheli mu kinyejana cya 20 n’icya 21

Mu kinyejana cya 20, ikoranabuhanga n’ubucuruzi byahinduye cyane isura ya Noheli, igenda iva mu rwego rwo kwizihiza ivuka rya Kristo, ihinduka igihe cy’umuryango n’ubucuruzi. Icyakora, ibikorwa by’iyobokamana nko kuririmba indirimbo za Noheli, kwerekana ivuka rya Yesu, no gusenga ku munsi wa Noheli, biracyakorwa n’abantu benshi.

Nubwo Noheli ya none ishobora kuba iri kure y’uburyo Yesu yavutsemo i Betelehemu, iracyatanga amahirwe akomeye yo kwibuka iyo nkuru yihariye no kuyisangira n’abandi.

Noheli nziza!

Ibiri muri ubu bushakashatsi byakozwe hifashishijwe ikinyamakuru Christian Today, byandikwa na Martin Whittock, bishyirwa mu kinyarwanda na Paradise.rw