TOEFL Response #1 : Gosurei(고수레), Funny but Glittering

     Gosurei is a Korean traditional custom practiced by almost all people in korea actively even until several decades ago. Old men and women sometimes practice this, but is almost forgotten by the young generations these days. This custom is practiced by scooping up some of their meals and throwing it into the air before they start eating, saying ‘Gosurei.’ From my point of view, Gosurei is a valuable custom of Korea that must spread to the world since through practicing it, we can enhance humbleness, sympathy towards the poor, and feeling of unity.

     Through practicing Gosurei, people tried to thank the gods of the nature and the earth for giving them something to eat and letting them harvest. This was combined with many folk beliefs (saying there will be punishments from the nature if you don't practice Gosurei) and was done without exceptions. This made them feel that it is not themselves who grew the products but the gods, making them to be humble and kind. The farmers will not boast for good production but will give credits to the nature itself. Thus, Gosurei can control people's mind to be good and smooth as well.

     Let us take a look at the story which this custom was derived from. Gosurei started with a story of an old lady with her last name ‘Go.’ She survived until her last moments by getting help from farmers and workers. After she died of hunger, the farmers tried to comfort the poor spirit of the lady by giving up some of their meals for her. From this story, we can see that people who did this activity had pity and kind minds towards poor people and tried to help them through any means. By doing Gosurei these days, we are reminded of people who had no choice but to starve to death, and think about showing pity and fulfilling responsibility to share profit and help them.

     There is another story which Gosurei might have been started from. There was a burial of a lady with the last name ‘Go’. A farmer found it, and managed it nicely without purpose. Then, suddenly his farm's production increased massively. Other farmers who heard his news visited her burial, and each of them had their production improved. Farmers who lived so far away from the burial could not actually visit there, but only could throw some of their meal for the lady. This story tells us that the people, who were mostly farmers, wished for a good harvest very much. They would have sympathized with each other about the feeling and the desire towards a good harvest. This would have increased farmers' feeling of unity by practicing an unordinary custom together. This might have created a strong bond in farmers' society, and eased them to talk to each other and help each others' work.

     'Gosurei' may look hilarious and extraordinary to foreigners, and may seem that there is no specific or deep meaning. However, even nowadays, its value is shining. It can still benefit our lives by improving kind mind, pity and responsibility to the poor, and feeling of membership.