Usuku lokuqala onyakeni omusha
usuku lokuqala ngqaEminyakeni engamakhulu amathathu namashumi amabili nanhlanu [325] eyedlule – ngonyaka wenkulungwane namakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nanye [1691], uPhapha u-Inosensi [Pope Innocence XII] wanquma ukuthi usuku lokuqala enyangeni uMasingana [1 Janwari] lwaziswe njengosuku lokuqala lonyaka.
Yisikhashana seminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye-nje [9] kuphela, kusukela kowe-1691 kuya kowe-1700, uPhapha u-Inosensi ayengaso esihlalweni sobuholi beBandla lamakholwa eRoma. Engena-nje esikhundleni, waguqula wahlela kabusha okuningi ayebona kufanele kuguqulwe emphakathini. Okunye kwakho kwakuphathelene nohlelo lokubalwa nokuqhutshwa kweminyaka (ikhalenda): Wanquma ukuthi unyaka uqaliswe ngosuku lokuqala enyangeni uMasingana [1 Janwari].
Babekade sebake bayihlongoza, bayizama, leyo abaBusi bakwelaseRoma ezikhathini eziphambili kanye noPhapha uGrego [Pope Gregor XIII (1502-1585)] emkhankasweni wakhe owagcina ngomphumela owaziwa ngokuthi “yiKhalenda ngokukaGrego”, okwakuwumkhankaso owawufuna ukukuqalisa ngosuku lokuqala enyangeni uMasingana ukubalwa konyaka ohlelweni lweminyaka [ekhalendeni]. Awamaningi nokho amazwe avuma ukuyilandela leyo nqubo nangalezo zikhathi.
Kwaqhutshekwa kulandelwa izinhlelo ezahlukene emazweni ehlukene. Kwakukhona ababeziqalisela-nje zingamashumi amabili nanhlanu kuZibandlela [25 Disemba] unyaka olandelayo ohlelweni lweminyaka, bethi lolo lusuku uJesu waseNazaletha, abamkhonzayo, azalwa ngalo. KwelaseFlansi [eFransi] bebewuqalisa ngoMkhosi wePhasika unyaka omusha kuze kube zolo lokhu [^1550]. Kulokho-ke bekwehla kwenyuka ukuqala konyaka ohlelweni [ekhalendeni] njengoba noMkhosi wePhasika wehla wenyuka minyaka-yonke. Kwamanye amazwe unyaka omusha ubuqaliswa ziyisithupha kuMasingana [6 Janwari] noma zingamashumi amabili nanye kuNdasa [21 Mashi] ngokwethwasa kwehlobo kwelaseYurophu. Nomhla wamashumi amabili nesihlanu kuNdasa [25 Mashi] wawejwayelekile ngokunjalo, kuthiwa wusuku uMariya abikelwa ngalo ukuthi uzokhulelwa.
Yilesi simo-ke u-Inosensi ayezama ukusiqondisa. Uma sibheka namuhla indlela osekwaqhutshwa ngayo emazweni amaningi muva-nje, siyabona kuthi umzamo wakhe waphumelela: Kwezohwebo nezolwazi nezokwezokuxhumana emhlabeni-jikelele usuku lokuqala kuMasingana [1 Janwari] sekwaba yilona oluwusuku lokuqala lonyaka.
Nòma kunjalo, zisekhona ezinye izinsuku ezaziwa njengosuku lokuqala lonyaka: ENgilandi umhla wamashumi amabili nesithupha kuNdasa [26 Mashi] bekuwusuku lokuqala onyakeni kuze kube zolo lokhu [^1750]. Ngokwenqubo kwezenkolo kukhona abawuqalisa ngoMkhosi weAdvente unyaka omusha, abanye bawuqalise ekuqaleni kukaNcwaba [1 Agasti], abanye ekuqaleni kukaMandlulo [1 Sebthemba].
Ngenxa yamasiko nenqubo eyahlukene kunamazwe azibalela ngendlela yawo-nje ukuqhubeka kweminyaka nokulandelana kwayo – awanasizathu sokulandela umthetho woMbusi weBandla lamakholwa eRoma: Zilishumi nane kuMandulo [14 Sebthemba] nyakenye [2015] bekuwusuku lokuqala lonyaka omusha ngokohlelo lweminyaka [ikhalenda] ngokwenkolo yesiJuda, obekungunyaka wezinkulungwane ezinhlanu namakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi ayisikhombisa nesithupha [5776]. Zilishumi nane kuMfumfu [14 Okthoba] unyaka omusha ngokwenkolo yesiSulumane, obekungunyaka wenkulungwane namakhulu amane namashumi amathathu nesikhombisa [1437], uqalé ngokushona kwelanga. Zilishumi nesishiyagalolunye kuNhlolanja [19 Febhwari] nyakenye [2015] abaseShayina bebebingelela unyaka omusha, obekuwunyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili [32] ohlwini lwamashumi ayisikhombisa nesishiyagalolunye [79] ohlelweni lweminyaka ngokwenqubo yaseShayina, obekuwunyaka weMbuzi yeDuna.
Izinhlelo zeminyaka nokwakhiwa kwazo kungenye yemikhankaso enzima emhlabeni, enezingxaki ezingaqedwa. Kwasemandulo kwakucutshungulwa, kuqwagayiswana ngezindlela ezahlukene okwakungazameka ngazo ukuhlela isikhathi, kulandelwa ukwethwasa nokufa kwenyanga nokuphuma nokushona kwelanga lizungeza umhlaba. …
Izincazelo ngonyaka wesine ohlelweni, omude ngosuku kuneminye, itholakala kwaboLwazi ngezoMkhathi nezeziNkayezi: Bathi umhlaba ugijima ibanga elingamakhilomitha angamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye namashumi amane [940] ngonyaka lizungeza ilanga. Nòma ugijima ngesivinini samakhilomitha ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu nesikhombisa [107 000] ngehora, uthatha izinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha nanhlanu kanye nezingxenye ezingamashumi amabili nane zosuku [365,24] ukuzungeza ilanga. Unyaka ngokwejwayelekile uyizinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha nanhlanu [365]. Ingxenye engamashumi amabili nane osuku [0,24] igcina isihlanganisé usuku olugcwele eminyakeni emine. Kungakho-ke eminyakeni emine kuyaye kube nonyaka omqhuqhumbe, onezinsuku ezingamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha nesithupha [366].
Uhlelo ngeminyaka emqhuqhumbe luthi: Isibalo sonyaka esahlukaniseka kane [4], sikhomba unyaka omqhuqhumbe. Isibalo sonyaka esihlanganisa ikhulu, siyaye sikhombe unyaka omqhuqhumbe kuphela-nje uma sehlukaniseka ngokwamakhulu amane [400]. Ngokunjalo-ke unyaka wenkulungwane namakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye [1900] wawungesiwo unyaka omqhuqhumbe; unyaka wezinkulungwane ezimbili [2000] kodwa wona wawungunyaka omqhuqhumbe. Owezinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu amane [2400] uyoba unyaka omqhuqhumbe, owezinkulungwane ezimbili nekhulu [2100] nowezinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu amabili [2200] kanye nowezinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu amathathu [2300] ayisiyo iminyaka emqhuqhumbe. Nòma-ke sekwabanohlelo olucutshungisiswé kanje, olwenza “iKhalenda ngokukaGrego” ngokusho kwabaziyo isebenziseke ngokugculisayo kade kangaka [iminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezintathu (3000)], kunokuphambuka okuhlala kuvela emzamweni wokulandela ukuzungezwa kwelanga umhlaba, eziqondiswa ngohlelo lwemizuzu-mqhuqhumbe.
UPhapha u-Inosensi kungenzeka ukuthi wayengazazi zonke lezi zingxaki; uyaziswa nokho ngokumisa kwakhe kolokuqala kuMasingana njengolokuqala onyakeni. Ngalokho akaxhasanga-nje kuphela umbono kaPhapha uGrego, kodwa wavuna namalungu oMbuso wakwelaseRoma abaphakamisa phambilini – ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amahlanu nantathu [153] ngaphambi kukaKhristu [ngaphambi kwenkathi esiphila kuyo] – umbono wokuthi olokuqala kuMasingana lube ngolokuqala onyakeni, okwakukade kungolokuqala kuNdasa [1 Mashi] kwelaseRoma ngelezo zikhathi. Lokho okufakazelwa ngamabizo ezinyanga [ngokolwimi lwakubo, isiLathini] kusukela kuMandulo [Sebthemba] kuya kuZibandlela [Disemba] okuyizinyanga zesikhombisa kuya kweyeshumi, kubalwa kusukwa kuNdasa [Mashi], [okwakukade kuyinyanga yokuqala konyaka kwelakubo]. Ukubizwa kwezinyanga akuguqukanga; kwaguquka ukubalwa kwazo [ngokulandelana sekusuka kuMasingana].
NguBheni wakwaKhumalo eBaQulusini, weViyo leziKhuthali oBanjiswaneni lokuHumusha nokuBhala kabusha kweBhaybheli ngesiZulu [Biblia Zuluensis]; Umtapo wolwazi: Klaus Merhof, Das Ende des Neujahrs-Chaos‘, in: Evangelische Zeitung, 03.01.2016, 11.