Travelers to Hungary will enjoy a special treat this Farsang season, especially in Mohács, a special little place, not far from Budapest – well, a day trip worth, that is. This is Busójárás in Mohács, with pagan demons and laughter, the kind of thing that makes travel worth it, simply because it is so different from everything you’ve ever experienced in your life. And if you decide to attend the event, leave all your expectations of “proper” at home, ladies. These demons are anything but proper. They will “harass” you, tease you, and chase you, because this is tradition in Mohács!
Oh, and the Busó festivities at Mohács are an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity listed celebration. This means that this six-day carnival reveals a lot about the local culture and traditions, and it has authenticity, unlike the usual tourist traps that make visitors to a certain country waste time on things that don’t really belong.
The tradition originated with the Croatian minority in Mohács, but now, the locals consider it as Hungarian as anything else. According to the official UNESCO listing:
The festival is multifaceted, including a children’s costume contest, a display of the art of mask carvers and other craftspeople, the arrival of more than 500 busós in rowboats on the Danube for a march through the city alongside horse-drawn or motorized fantasy vehicles, the burning of a coffin symbolizing winter on a bonfire in the central square, and feasts and music throughout the city.
So enjoy this in Hungary this February. The festival starts February 4, and it will last till February 9 this year.