The March of the Busó in Mohács

One of the most popular and spectacular winter events, the Busó festival is under way in Mohács, S Hungary near the Serbian border. Going back to medieval roots, the march of people in frightening costumes is supposed to scare away winter.

In the end-of-winter festival (that Hungarians refer to as 'Busójárás', that is, the 'march of the Busó'), frightening-looking costumed people wearing wooden masks and big woolly cloaks march through the town after arriving in boats on the river Danube.

Thsi year, one of the country's largest traditional events are held at fifteen venues with almost 150 programs between February 24 and March 1.

As tradition has it, the most spectacular events of this famous folk tradition were held on Carnival Sunday. On February 27, the busós crossed the Danube in a boat, marched through the city center, launched the carnival coffin, unveiled new busós and lit a huge bonfire in the town square.

The Busójárás was included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009. The festivity was described as a general emblem of the city and a commemoration of the great events of its history.