Busójárás in Mohács: a celebration of seeing off winter

Busójárás takes place in the Hungarian city of Mohács at the end of the carnival season. It is a celebration at which people in unusual masks see off winter. The custom first appeared among the city's Croatian residents, and today it has become one of the symbols of Mohács. UNESCO has included Busójárás on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The celebration lasts six days. Its main participants, the busós, put on masks and special costumes. They gather together and walk through the city streets. Musicians and dancers perform alongside them. The programme includes folk dances and a fair of handmade goods. Another part of the celebration is connected with seeing off winter: participants burn a coffin that symbolises winter. There are many visitors in the streets, and they not only watch the procession but also join in the fun.

Every year, the city organisers and groups of busós prepare the celebration together. Work begins long before it opens. Participants plan performances, make new masks and other items, put their costumes in order and prepare special carts for their groups. Craftspeople help create things for the celebration. The groups meet at other times of the year too, so preparation becomes part of their everyday lives.

Not all events are listed in the programme in advance. Sometimes participants unexpectedly start dancing, play with visitors or frighten them with their masks. Some visitors come for the music and dancing; others are interested in seeing the craftspeople's work and the unusual costumes. In this way, the old custom remains alive: it is preserved not only on stage but also in the streets, where participants and spectators meet.

In the Hungarian city of Mohács, the end of the carnival season is marked by Busójárás, a six-day celebration of masks and seeing off winter. Its origins are linked to the city's Croatian residents, but over time the custom became a recognisable symbol of all Mohács. Today it is included on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. At the same time, the townspeople themselves keep the tradition going each year: they do not simply repeat familiar actions, but prepare the celebration together and take part in it.

The main participants in the procession, the busós, take to the streets in masks and special costumes. Musicians and dancers accompany them, while the many visitors do not limit themselves to the role of spectators and join in the general fun. Among the events prepared in advance are a gathering of the busós, a procession, folk dances and a fair of handmade goods. During the celebration, a coffin symbolising winter is also burned. Events take place in different parts of the city, so visitors can see not just one performance but a whole series of connected festive activities.

Behind this colourful spectacle lies a long period of preparation, which the city organisers and groups of busós undertake together. The groups continue to meet outside the six days of the celebration. Participants plan performances, make masks and other items, renew costumes and prepare special carts. Craftspeople who create things for the celebration play an important role. Thus, work on it is not limited to the few days before the procession, but becomes part of the local groups' lives throughout the year.

However, not everything that happens in the streets can be found in the programme. The busós may suddenly start dancing, begin playing with visitors or frighten them with their masks. Some visitors are drawn by the music and dancing; others are interested in the craftspeople's work and the unusual costumes. Thanks to the combination of planned events and unexpected encounters, the custom remains alive: it is preserved not only by the performers, but also by everyone who joins in the city's festive life.