Lately, I was discussing with my friend on several issues. At the middle of our conversation my friend was talking about his grandparents love and how the grand dad treats his wife. According to my friend, his grandfather would not dare to take a single handful meal before feeding his wife. This is the act of showing love. No matter how hungry he is, the grandfather would not eat before he feeds his beloved wife.
This issue took my mind into our age long culture of sharing and eating together.
‘Gursha’ is a unique Ethiopian culture where families and friends practice it while dining together. ‘Gursha’ is not an act of showing an apathy or sympathy to a hungry person. It is rather an act of showing love, intimacy, togetherness and forgiveness.
‘Gursha’ is the practice of feeding another by placing, with one’s hand, a bite of food–wrapped in a flat bread called ‘injera’–gently in the mouth of another. It is an intimate act of friendship or of love among Ethiopians. The act of ‘Gursha’surrounds the sharing of a meal where people encircle one large plate of food containing meats, vegetables and sauces placed on top of ‘injera’, a spongy sour dough-like flat bread made out of teff flour.
The food is eaten by hand, but it is first scooped up with a torn-off strip of ‘ injera’. ‘Gursha’ is when one person picks up some of the food with the ‘injera’ and feeds another person a mouthful of food— ‘Gursha’ It usually spurs the recipient to do the same for others, causing a chain reaction.
In a country like Ethiopia where several people live with diverse cultural practices ‘Gursha’ has a special meaning. It is a sign of unity, love and togetherness. A person who came from Northern part of Ethiopia truly understands what it means when his Oromo or Amhara brother stretches his hand for ‘Gursha’. He/she will understand it as a sign of love. He/she will realize that even if his/her ethnic background is different, the womb that conceives them is Ethiopia.
According to the activist, Obang Metho, ‘Gursha’ is a unique culture for Ethiopians. It is a sign of strong bondage among Ethiopians. It is considered as an act of sharing that shows care for others and an interest in their well-being. The larger the ‘Gursha’ portion, the stronger the message of caring and sharing. In a country like Ethiopia, where food has often been scarce, it represents how important it is to reach out to help others beyond oneself in order to provide nurturance of life to others.
“When you give a generous ‘Gursha’ mouthful to someone else, it says that you value that person so much that rather than feeding yourself, you feed them. It is a tradition that in itself strongly condemns gluttony, self-interest, exclusion and elitism. No one, no matter how “important,” can reserve a seat around the shared plate. Instead, each spot is open to whoever is there to take it. If others come, people will try to include them so no one is left out.”
Are we still ‘Gursha’people or have the divisive ethnic politics and misplaced values within our society today stirred up ethnic hatred, fear, suspicion, rampant selfishness, the dehumanization of others and naked opportunism? Asks Obang.
According to him, ‘Gursha’ is far more than a tradition. It can be an inspirational example how we, Ethiopians, might restore our culture of being “ ‘Gursha’– givers” rather than takers.
It emphasizes an open circle where others are welcomed instead of blocked from inclusion. It is an image of a more humane society, based on meaningful values rather than destructive self-interest that can harden our hearts towards the needs and rights of others.
In his conclusion, Obang has extended his New Year best wishes to all Ethiopians of every ethnicity, religion, region, economic status, gender, age and viewpoint to have a wonderful and blessed New Year. “Hope the New Year will be a meaningful time to reflect on how each of us might become part of building a more loving, caring, just and free society in Ethiopia.”
The other person whom I meet is Adane Setotaw. He is found in his late sixties. He was born and grew in a family that value Ethiopian culture. For Adane, ‘Gursha’ is the other side of Ethiopiansim. It is beyond shallow love. It signifies a strong bondage among people who share similar values.
Adane said that in a country like Ethiopia where different cultures are entertained; ‘Gursha’ is a language that connects individuals. It is understandable everywhere. Ethiopians consider ‘ ‘Gursha’as a sign of deep love and forgiveness. ‘Gursha’ is a strong cultural practice. It creates strong family bondage. It is a sign of coming together for love. ‘Gursha’ smashes down the wall of hatred. It breaks the chain of conflict between individuals.
Well, as one can understand from the aforementioned issues, ‘Gursha’ is a language for Ethiopians. Despite all their differences, Ethiopians are accustomed with the culture of living together in harmony and tolerance. No matter what their situation is, they know the power of forgiveness, unity and are accustomed with the art of living in tolerance.
The Ethiopian Herald September 11, 2019
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
