Busójárás

Busójárás is the famous carnival custom of Mohács, a town on the Danube in southern Hungary. It is held during farsang, the pre-Lenten carnival season, and today runs from Thursday to Shrove Tuesday, usually in February or early March. The tradition is most closely linked with Mohács’s Šokac community, and it is listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The central figures are the busós: men in carved wooden masks, sheepskin cloaks turned inside out, linen trousers, and heavy cowbells tied at the waist. A well-known moment is their symbolic arrival by boat on the Danube, after which they move into town in groups, rattling noisemakers and greeting crowds.

Across the day, the streets fill with costumed groups, folk musicians, dancers, market stalls, and spectators taking photos of the masks. The point is not elegance but noise: the busós clatter bells, swing wooden clappers, and joke with onlookers as part of the old winter-chasing ritual. Food at Busójárás is solid carnival food such as farsangi fánk, roast meats, sausages, mulled wine, and pálinka; at stalls and standing tables you often hear the toast “Egészségedre!” Evening brings one of the most dramatic scenes, a large bonfire in the square. On Shrove Tuesday the closing rite includes carrying and burning a coffin that symbolizes winter, while the crowd watches, drinks, and stays outside until late.

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