2012
Kau Palōfitá ʻi he Taimi Kilisimasí
Tīsema 2012


Kau Palōfitá ʻi he Taimi Kilisimasí

ʻOku fakatātaaʻi mai ʻe he moʻui ʻa hotau kau palōfita ʻe toko 16 ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní ʻa e laumālie ʻo e Kilisimsí, pea fakamanatuʻi mai kiate kitautolu ʻa e meʻa taʻehano-tatau ko ia naʻe hoko ʻi he ʻaiʻangakai ʻo e manú ʻi Pētelihema ʻi he senituli ʻe 20 tupu kuo hilí, ʻi hono ʻaloʻi mai hotau Fakamoʻui, ko Sīsū Kalaisí. Te tau fai maʻu pē ʻa e meʻa ʻoku totonú kapau te tau muimui ki heʻenau sīpingá—kae tautautefito ki he taimi Kilisimasí.

Ngaahi Meʻaʻofa ʻo e ʻOfá

Kuo hoko hono foaki ʻo e ngaahi meʻaʻofa ʻo e ʻofá mo e ngāue tokoni ki he kakai ʻoku faingataʻaʻiá ko e fakaʻilonga makehe ia ʻo e ngaahi ngāue ʻa e kau palōfitá ʻi he Kilisimasí. Naʻe hoko ʻa Palesiteni Hāloti B. Lī ko e palesiteni ʻo ha siteiki tokolahi ʻi Sōleki Siti, ʻIutā ʻi he 1931, lolotonga ʻa e Tō Lalo Fakaʻekonōmiká. Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa Palesiteni Lī te ne feinga ke ne ʻiloʻi ʻa e ngaahi fie maʻu ʻa e kau mēmipa ʻo hono siteikí, pea fai hono tūkuingatá ke feau ʻenau ngaahi fie maʻú. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi mei ha savea naʻe fai naʻe laka hake ʻi he vaeua ʻo hono siteikí, ʻa ia ko e kakai ia ʻe toko 5,000, naʻa nau fakafalala ki he tokoni mei he kakai kehe, pea naʻe kau ai ha fānau ʻe meimei toko 1,000 naʻa nau siʻi hifo ʻi he taʻu 10. Naʻá ne fekau atu ʻa e kāingalotú ke nau tānaki mai ha ngaahi meʻavaʻinga pea fai ha ngaahi ako ngāue ki hono fakaleleiʻi, vali, mo fufulu ʻa e ngaahi meʻavaʻinga motuʻá pe faʻu ha ngaahi meʻavaʻinga foʻou, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻi ai ha longaʻi fānau iiki ʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻanau meʻavaʻinga ʻi he Kilisimasí. Naʻá ne pehē ʻoku totonu ke lava ʻe he fāmili kotoa ʻi he siteikí ʻo fai haʻanau maʻu meʻatokoni faka-Kilisimasi, ko ia naʻá ne kole ki ha ngaahi tokoni fakameʻakai koeʻuhi ke lava ʻo fakahoko ia.1 Naʻe kole kia ʻEletā Lī kimui ʻi heʻene hoko ko ha ʻAposetoló ke ne fokotuʻu ʻa e polokalama uelofea ʻa e Siasí ʻo makatuʻunga ʻi he ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni tatau ʻo e ngāue-ʻofá, feilaulaú mo e ngāué.

Naʻe fakamanatu ʻe Palesiteni Tōmasi S. Monisoni ʻi heʻene kei siʻí ʻa e Kilisimasí mo hano kaumeʻa, pea naʻe fai ange ai ʻe hono kaumeʻá ha fehuʻi fakaʻohovale, “ʻOku fēfē hono ifo ʻo e pīpií?” Naʻá ne tali ange ʻo pehē ʻoku ifo tatau pē mo e moá, ka naʻá ne fakatokangaʻi ʻoku teʻeki kai pīpī pe moa hono kaumeʻa masivá. Naʻe ʻikai ko ia pē, ka naʻe ʻikai ha meʻa ia ʻi he ʻapi ʻo hono kaumeʻa ke ngaohi ʻaki haʻanau kai ki he Kilisimasí. Naʻe pehē ai ʻe Palesiteni Monisoni, “Naʻá ku fakakaukau leva ki ha meʻa te u faí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻaku pīpī, pe ha moa, pea ʻikai foki haʻaku paʻanga. Naʻá ku manatuʻi ʻoku ʻi ai haʻaku kiʻi lāpisi ʻe ua. Naʻá ku puke mai leva ʻa e nima ʻo hoku kaumeʻá ʻo ma lele atu ki he meʻa ʻoku tauhi ai ʻa e ongo lāpisí, ʻo toʻo mai ʻo faʻo ʻi ha puha, peá u ʻoange ʻa e puhá kiate ia mo pehē ange, ʻʻAlu mo e ongo kiʻi lāpisí. ʻOku ifo ia ki he kaí—ʻo hangē pē ko e moá.ʻ … Naʻe tō hoku loʻimatá ʻi heʻeku tāpuniʻi ʻa e matapā ki he ʻā ʻo e ongo kiʻi lāpisí ʻa ia kuo ʻikai te na ʻi aí. Ka naʻe ʻikai te u loto mamahi. Naʻe fakafonu hoku lotó ʻe ha ongo māfana mo ha fiefia makehe. Ko ha Kilisimasi fakangalongataʻa ia.”2

Nofo Fakafāmili Fakataha

Ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi Kilisimasi fakafiefia taha ʻoku manatu ki ai ʻa Palesiteni ʻEselā Tafu Penisoní naʻe hoko ia he 1923, ʻi heʻene foki mai ki ʻapi ʻi he Efiafi kimuʻa ʻi he Kilisimasí ʻi he faama ʻo e fāmilí ʻi Uitenī, ʻi ʻAitahō, ʻi he USA, hili ʻene ngāue fakafaifekau taʻu ʻe ua mo e konga ki ʻIngilani. Naʻe fonu foki ʻa e fakataha fakafāmili fiefia ko ʻeni mo ʻene ongomātuʻá mo hono ngaahi tokoua mo e tuofāfine ʻe toko 10 ʻi he ʻamanaki fiefia ki he Kilisimasí. Naʻe ʻoange hano faingamālie makehe ʻe heʻene ongomātuʻá ke ne nofo ʻo tokoni ki he ngaahi teuteu kehe ki he Kilisimasí hili ʻa e ʻalu ʻa e fānaú ʻo mohé. Naʻá ne talanoa ki heʻene ongomātuʻá lolotonga ʻene tokoni kiate kinauá ʻo kau ki he ngaahi meʻa naʻe hoko ʻi heʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻe ʻikai te ne faʻa taʻofi hono loʻimatá ʻi he efiafi “makehe” ko ʻeni ʻi hono ʻapí ʻi heʻene kei siʻí.3

ʻOku hanga ʻe he moʻui ʻa e kau palōfitá ʻo fakalotolahiʻi kitautolu ke tau ʻunuʻunu atu ke ofi ange ki hotau fāmilí ʻi he taimi Kilisimasí. Naʻe manatu ʻa Palesiteni Siosefa F. Sāmita ki ha Kilisimasi ʻe taha ʻi heʻene kei hoko ko ha tamai kei talavoú, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻane paʻanga—naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻane sēniti ʻe taha—ke fakatau ʻaki ha ngaahi meʻaʻofa ʻa ʻene fānaú. Naʻá ne ʻalu atu mei hono ʻapí kimuʻa ʻi he Kilisimasí ʻo lue pē he halá, mo sio ʻi he ngaahi meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa kotoa ʻi he matapā sioʻata ʻo e ngaahi fale koloá, neongo naʻá ne ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻikai te ne lava ʻo fakatau ha taha ʻo e ngaahi meʻa ko iá. Naʻá ne ʻalu atu ai kuo meimei ke mole kotoa ʻene ʻamanakí, ʻo kumi ha feituʻu ʻoku lōngonoá ʻo ne “tangi ai ʻo hangē ha kiʻi tamasiʻí” ke fakafiemālieʻi hono loto mamahí. Naʻá ne foki atu ki hono ʻapí hili ʻene holoholoʻi hono matá ʻo vaʻinga mo ʻene fānaú ʻi he ʻahó kotoa, mo “fakamālō mo fiefia pē koeʻuhi ko kinautolu.”4 Neongo ʻa e ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo foaki ki heʻene fānaú ʻa e ngaahi koloa fakatuʻasino ʻo e Kilisimasí, ka naʻá ne lava ʻo foaki kiate kinautolu ʻa e ngaahi meʻaʻofa mahuʻinga taha ʻe lava ʻe ha tamai ʻo foakí—ʻa ia ko ʻene ʻofá mo hono taimí.

Naʻe tuku pōpula pea nofo ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá ʻi he fale fakapōpula ko Lipetī ʻi Mīsulí ʻi he Kilisimasi ʻo e 1838. Naʻe tuku ia mo hano kaungā-ngāue ʻe niʻihi ʻi ha kiʻi loki fakapōpula ʻi lolofonua ʻa ia naʻe momoko, mo ʻuli, pea fonu he kohu ʻo e afi naʻe fakamālohiʻi kinautolu ke nau ngāue ʻaki. Naʻe fuʻu māʻulalo ʻaupito ʻa e pilīsone, ko ia naʻe ʻikai lava ke nau tuʻu hangatonu ki olunga. Ka naʻe ʻi ai ha taimi fakafiefia ʻo e faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasi ko iá. Naʻe lava ʻa ʻEma, ko e uaifi ʻo e Palōfitá, ʻo ʻaʻahi nounou mai kia Siosefa ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho lahi kimuʻa ʻi he Kilisimasí. Ko e meʻa foki ʻe tahá, naʻá ne ʻomi hona fohá, ko Siosefa Sāmita III. Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Siosefa ʻa e ʻofa ʻa hono fāmilí, ko ia naʻá ne tohi ai ha ngaahi lea fakalotolahi ki he Kāingalotú mei he loki fakapōpula ʻi lolofonua ko iá, ʻo pehē: “ʻOku mau vīkiviki ʻi he faingataʻá, he ʻoku mau ʻilo ʻoku ʻiate kimautolu ʻa e ʻOtuá.”5

Naʻe lolotonga feinga ʻa Palesiteni Siosefa Filitingi Sāmita ʻi he 1937 ke ne fehangahangai ʻi he moʻuí mo e mole hono uaifi ʻofeina ko ʻEfolo, ʻa ia naʻe toki pekiá. Naʻe kole ʻe ʻEfolo ke hiva ʻi hono meʻafakaʻeikí ʻa Siesī ʻĒveni, ʻa ia ko ha fefine ne teʻeki ai mali, pea leʻo mālie foki ʻi he hivá. Naʻe tupu mei he feʻiloaki ai ʻa Siesī ʻEveni mo Siosefa Filitingi Sāmita ko ha meʻa ke na maheni ai, pea tupulaki ai ʻena fetokangaʻaki ʻo aʻu ki heʻena feʻofaʻaki. Naʻe tali ʻe Siesi ʻene kole ke na malí hili ha kiʻi taimi siʻi mei he Kilisimasí. Naʻe tohi ʻe Palesiteni Sāmita ʻo kau ki heʻene fakakaukau ki he ngaahi meʻaʻofa naʻá ne maʻu ʻi he Kilisimasi ʻo e 1937, ʻo ne pehē, “Kuo hoko ʻeku maʻu (ʻa Siesí) ko haʻaku meʻaʻofa Kilisimasi, ʻa ia ʻoku ou fakamālō lahi ai.”6 Naʻá na mali ʻi ʻEpeleli ʻo e taʻu hono hokó.

Ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi tukufakaholo fakafāmili fakataʻu ʻa e fāmili ʻo Palesiteni Tēvita O. Makeí, ko hono ʻave ʻo e makapuná ke nau ʻalu ʻo heka sāliote toho he sinoú ʻa ia naʻe toho ʻe ha fanga hoosi, kae “tatangi ʻa e ngaahi fafangu” naʻe tautau ʻi honau kiá. Naʻe hoko ʻa e heka sāliote ko ʻení ko e taha ia ʻo ʻenau ngaahi tukufakaholo naʻa nau manako taha aí. Naʻe hokohoko fai ia ʻe Palesiteni Makei ʻo aʻu ki hono taʻu 80 tupú. Naʻe faʻa tui ʻe Palesiteni Makei hono fuʻu kote kiliʻi manu lōloa mo hono ongo kofunima lalahí koeʻuhi ke ne māfana. Naʻe heka ʻa e makapuna īkí ʻi he sāliote lahí, kae “heka ʻa e makapuna lalahí ia ʻi heʻenau sāliote iiki pē ʻanautolu” ʻa ia naʻe taulaniʻi ʻe he sāliote lahí. Naʻe ai ʻa e taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻe faʻa fakaʻosi ʻa e ngaahi fakafiefia faka-Kilisimasi fakangalongataʻa ko ʻení ʻaki ʻenau tuʻu takai ʻi he pianó ʻo fai ha ngaahi hiva Kilisimasi pea nau hivaʻi foki mo e “ʻOfa ʻi ʻApí.”7

Ko ha Fakamoʻoni kia Sīsū Kalaisi

Mahalo ko e meʻa mahuʻinga tahá, ko hono akoʻi kitautolu ʻe he ngaahi meʻa naʻe fai ʻe he kau palōfitá ʻi he Kilisimasí ke tau fakatupulaki ʻetau fakamoʻoni kia Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻi heʻetau fokotuʻu Ia ke Ne hoko ko e tokotaha mahuʻinga taha ʻi heʻetau ngaahi fakafiefiá. Naʻe mei ʻosi hono langa ʻo e Temipale Sā Siaosi ʻIutaá ʻi he 1876. Naʻe fokotuʻu ke fai ʻa e ouau fakatapui ʻo e loki ʻi laló, loki fakatahaʻanga lahí, mo e loki silá ʻi he ʻaho 1 ʻo Sānuali 1877.8 Koeʻuhi naʻe toe pē ha ʻaho ʻe fitu mei he Kilismasí pea fai hono fakatapuí, naʻe tokolahi ai ʻa e kāingalotu naʻa nau ngāue mālohi ke fakapapauʻi ʻe ʻosi hono langa ʻo e temipalé ʻi he taimi totonu.

Naʻe tohi ʻe Palesiteni Uilifooti Utalafi, ʻa ia naʻe hoko ko e ʻuluaki palesiteni ʻo e temipalé, ʻi heʻene tohi fakamatalá ʻo pehē, naʻe femoʻuekina ʻa e kakai tangatá ʻi he ʻaho Kilisimasí ʻo nau ngāue ʻaki ʻenau ngaahi kilí, pea naʻe ʻi ai ha kakai fefine ʻe toko 40 naʻa nau ʻi he temipalé ʻi he ʻaho kakato ʻo tuitui ʻa e kāpetí. Naʻa nau fola ʻa e kāpetí, mo tau ʻa e ngaahi puipuí.9

Neongo naʻe ʻikai meimei ʻosi he taimi totonu ʻa e ngāué, ka naʻe mahuʻinga lahi ʻenau ngaahi foaki naʻe fai ʻi he faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasi ko iá. Naʻe hoko ʻenau ngāué ko ʻenau fakafiefiaʻi ia ʻo e Kilisimasí. Naʻe haʻu ha kakai ʻe toko 2,000 ki hono fakatapui ʻi he ʻaho 1 ʻo Sānualí, pea fai ai ʻe Palesiteni Utalafi ʻa e lotu fakatapui ʻo e konga ʻe niʻihi ʻo e temipalé—pea ko e ʻosi ia ha taʻu ʻe 30 hili hono tuli ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ke nau ʻalu kae liʻaki ʻa e Temipale Nāvuú.

Naʻe lahi ha ngaahi kolo ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteití naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ke tāmateʻi ʻa e ngaahi maama kotoa pē ʻi he poʻulí, lolotonga ʻa e Tau Lahi Hono II, ke fakatuhotuha hono ngāueʻaki ʻo e loló. Naʻe tāmateʻi ʻi Sōleki Siti ʻa e ngaahi maama huluʻi ʻo e Temipale Sōlekí ʻi he poʻulí. Naʻe tuʻu fakapoʻuli ʻa e temipalé ʻi ha kolo fakapoʻuli ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu lahi. Naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ʻe Palesiteni Hiipa J. Kalānite ʻi he hili hono fakahā ʻi ʻIulope kuo ʻosi ʻa e taú, ke fakamoʻui ʻa e ngaahi maama huluʻi ʻo e temipalé.

Naʻe faʻu ʻe Palesiteni Siaosi ʻAlipate Sāmita ki he Kilisimasi ʻo e 1945 ha kaati Kilisimasi fakalaumālie mo mahuʻingamālie. Naʻe tuʻu ʻi muʻa ha tā ʻo e taua fakahahake ʻe tolu ʻo e Temipale Sōlekí, ʻa ia naʻe ulo fakaʻofoʻofa mai ʻi muʻa kae lanu pulū mālohi ʻa mui, pea tuʻu ʻa e ʻāngelo ko Molonaí mei ʻolunga. Naʻe hiki leva ʻi lalo ʻa e fakalea ko ʻení, “Kilisimasi—1945” mo e pōpoaki ko ʻení “Kuo toe ulo ʻa e ngaahi māmá.”10 Naʻe ʻikai ha meʻa te ne fakamatalaʻi lelei ange ʻa e fiefia naʻe ongoʻi ʻe he kakai kotoa pē hili ʻa e ngaahi taʻu fuoloa ʻo e mate mo e fakaʻauhá.

Ka ne toe hoko foki ʻa e kaati Kilisimasi ko ʻení ko ha founga ia ʻo hono fakahā ʻe Palesiteni Sāmita ʻa ʻene fakamoʻoni kia Sīsū Kalaisi mo hono Toe Fakafoki Mai ʻo e ongoongoleleí. Hangē pe ko hono ʻomi ʻe he ʻosi ʻa e taú ʻa e melinó mo e māmá ki he ngaahi feituʻu fakapoʻulí, ʻoku pehē pē mo hono “fakaulo mai” ʻe hono Toe Fakafoki Mai ʻo e ongoongoleleí ʻa e maama ngingila ʻo e moʻoní ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻo e māmaní, hili ʻa e ngaahi senituli lahi ʻo e Hē mei he Moʻoní.

ʻOku fakamoʻoniʻi mai ʻe he ngaahi sīpinga ʻo e ʻofa, ngāue tokoni, tui, mo e feilaulau ʻa hotau kau palōfita ʻo e ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní, ʻoku ʻomi ʻa e fiefia moʻoní ʻi he faʻahitaʻu Kilisimasí ʻi he moʻui ʻo hangē ko e moʻui ʻa Kalaisí. Pea hangē ko e lea ʻa Palesiteni Hauati W. Hanitaá, “ʻOku hoko mai ʻa e Kilisimasi moʻoní kiate ia ʻokú ne toʻo ʻa Kalaisi ki heʻene moʻuí ʻo hoko ko ha ivi fakaktupulekina, mālohi, mo longomoʻui. ʻOku makatuʻunga ʻa e laumālie moʻoni ʻo e Kilisimasí ʻi he moʻui mo e misiona ʻa e ʻEikí.”11

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

  1. Vakai, Larry C. Porter, “Remembering Christmas Past,” BYU Studies, vol. 40, fika 3 (2001): 94–96.

  2. Thomas S. Monson, “Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings,” New Era, Dec. 1986, 7.

  3. Vakai, Porter, “Remembering Christmas Past,” 104–5.

  4. Joseph F. Smith, “Christmas and New Year,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1919, 267.

  5. Joseph Smith, ʻi he Porter, “Remembering Christmas Past,” 53.

  6. Joseph Fielding Smith, ʻi he Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. and John J. Stewart, The Life of Joseph Fielding Smith (1972), 255.

  7. Vakai, David Lawrence McKay, My Father, David O. McKay (1989), 70–71.

  8. Naʻe fai hono fakatapui fakaʻosi ʻo e Temipale Sā Siaosi ʻIutaá ʻi ha māhina ʻe fā kimui ʻi ʻEpeleli 6-8. 1877.

  9. Vakai, Wilford Woodruffʻs Journal, ed. Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (1983–85), 7:297.

  10. Vakai, Albert L. Zobell Jr., “It Being Christmas,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1949, 826–27.

  11. The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams (1997), 269.

Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻo e ʻatá ʻe Welden C. Andersen