Ngisendleleni eya esiteshini esingaphansi komhlaba esiphezulu namuhla, ngabona uphawu lwangakithi olucacile (i-pun ehloselwe kakhulu) oluthi isizini ka-Santa isiphezu kwethu ngokugcwele: inqwaba yesihlahla sikaKhisimusi. Ngibona ubuso obujwayelekile babantu abami, njengenjwayelo, phambi kwe-Rite Aid hawking pines namafir kudala ahlukaniswa nezimpande zawo. Ngokusho kweNational Christmas Tree Association, cishe izigidi ezingama-30-35 zezihlahla zikaKhisimusi "zangempela" zidayiswa e-US njalo ngonyaka futhi cishe abantu abayi-100,000 baqashwa embonini yezihlahla zikaKhisimusi.
โNgokushesha nje lapho i-turkey isiseTupperware, imicabango iphenduka ilungele uKhisimusi,โ kuqala enye indaba yephephandaba yakamuva. โFuthi uthini uKhisimusi ngaphezu kwesihlahla?โ Yebo, njengoba i-Thanksgiving ibhekisela kuma-turkeys, uKhisimusi uwukuhlaza njalo. Kucishe kubonakale kunganakwa ukuthi izimpawu ezihlala njalo zamaholide amabili asebusika agujwa kakhulu ziyizinjongo zaminyaka yonke zokubulala abantu. Ungakwazi ukucula "O Isihlahla sikaKhisimusi" uze uhayize, kodwa leso sihlahla osanda kusithenga siyafa phambi kwamehlo akho.
Amaphesenti angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili azo zonke izihlahla zikaKhisimusi zaseMelika zitshalwa emapulazini ezihlahla zikaKhisimusi ezingaphezu kuka-21,000; lamapulazi adla cishe amahektha angama-450,000 omhlaba. Kuthatha iminyaka engaba ngu-7-10 ukuthi isihlahla sikaKhisimusi sivuthwe, futhi kuzo zonke izihlahla ezivuniweyo, izithombo ezi-2-3 ziyatshalwa. Cabanga ngakho njengokulima kwasefekthri kwamafir.
Imithi yokuthengisa inqwaba efana nalena engiyidlulile namuhla iyisiko leDolobha laseNew York elaqala ngo-1851. Eminyakeni engamashumi amathathu ngemva kwalokho, umsizi kaThomas Edison wahlanganisa umqondo ovamile wokulenga izibani zikagesi ezihlahleni zikaKhisimusi. Ngo-1890, izibani ezinjalo zase zikhiqizwa ngobuningi futhi ukukhanya kwezihlahla kwakuzoba umcimbi wokuzikhethela kulabo abangenandaba nezikweletu zikagesi ezinamadijithi amathathu.
Elinye isiko laseMelika eliqinile ekugcineni lizophawula ukuphela okungavumelekile kuwo wonke umoya weholide. Kunjalo nje ngikhuluma ngokubona izihlahla ezilahliwe zidindilize eduze kwamathini kadoti eceleni komgwaqo. Emasontweni ambalwa nje ngaphambili, lezo zihlahla zazincike cishe ziqonde amanani entengo elenga emagatsheni azo acwebezelayo. Manje sezilele zivundlileโฆizintambo ezimbalwa eziqinile ezinamathele ezinalithini ezibukhali. Njengezimfoloko zepulasitiki, amapuleti ephepha, amathambo e-turkey agayiwe, nokwanda kwabantu abangenamakhaya eNew York, sibona izihlahla zikaKhisimusi njengezilahlwayo; ekugcineni baba inkinga yomunye umuntu.
Ngaphambi kokuba noma ubani aphakamise ukugaywa kabusha okusabalele kwezihlahla zangemva kweholide, ake sibuyekeze, akunjalo? Amahektare angaba ngu-450,000 abekelwe eceleni ukuze kutshalwe futhi kutshalwe izihlahla okufanele zigawulwe futhi zidayiswe cishe izinsuku eziyishumi ngaphambi kokuba ziphonswe endaweni egandayiwe ngendlela engafanele futhi kufanele sishayele ihlombe isikhathi nemali idolobha lethu eliyisebenzisayo ukubhekana nazo. ubhubhane lwezihlahla ezifile olwalandela futhi olubikezelwayo.
Izibani ezicwayizayo zibuyela emuva ephaseji ikhabethe futhi imihlobiso igcinwa ngaphansi kombhede egumbini lezivakashi ngaphambi kokuba kufike izikweletu zika-January zikagesi nekhadi lesikweletu. Nokho, isihlahla sikaKhisimusi salo nyaka sizoba umlando. Ngeke lisafihla amabhokisi asongwe ngokugqamile ezinto zikagesi zabathengi noma libonise ingelosi e-blonde ebethelwe endaweni ephezulu kakhulu. Njengoba sitshalwe futhi sakhuluphaliswa kuphela ngenxa yokubulala, leso sihlahla esizobhujiswa cishe sizosebenza njengento entsha eqondiswe ezinja zendawo lapho zihambahamba.
Kulo khisimusi, yithi cha ku-fir...
U-Mickey Z. angatholakala kuwebhu ku- http://www.mickeyz.net.
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa kuphela ngokuphana kwabafundi bayo.
Nikela