Busójárás - The Hungarian festival to ward off winter.

Every February, the Hungarian town of Mohács is filled with the lively festivities of the Busójárás festival, held during Farsang (Carnival). Farsang is the name given to the Hungarian festival season, during which a series of events are held throughout the country to ward off winter. Busójárás is the main event of the festival and takes place only in the town of Mohács, near Hungary's border with Croatia. This is the festival of the Šokci people, a Croatian minority group of Mohács.

The festival originates from a legend about the Mohács people repelling invaders hundreds of years ago. During the Ottoman occupation, the local people were forced to flee the town and take refuge in the nearby swamps. One stormy night, following the advice of an old Šokac, a group of people, wearing terrifying masks and making rattling noises, returned to Mohács, causing the invaders to flee in fear, thinking they were demons. That night, the Šokac people crossed the Danube River in their boats and drove out the Ottoman army.

Despite the fact that the story has no historical basis, the legend of Busós remains very popular among the townspeople. Not only does it serve to reenact past events, but today, the festival is held to ward off winter and welcome the arrival of spring.

The heart of the Busójárás festival is the Busós. Traditionally, Busós are men dressed in fearsome costumes consisting of unique wooden masks and woolen cloaks made from sheepskin. They parade through the crowds throughout the town, making loud noises and creating a commotion as a symbol of warding off winter, evil spirits, and bad luck. Although most Busós are male, women may also participate and they dress as female Busós, or they wear costumes reminiscent of Ottoman Turkish women.

Busójárás takes place at the end of February, lasting for six days from Thursday to Tuesday. In ancient times, Busós would walk from house to house expressing good wishes, and in return, they would receive drinks and food. Today, most of the folk customs have disappeared, but instead there are many other highlights. A typical example is the Busós crossing the Danube River in boats, releasing the coffin of "Old Man Winter" into the river. The biggest celebration takes place on Sunday and is called Farsang Vasárnap (Farsang Sunday).

Tuesday is also an important day. At night, the Farsang Burial Ceremony takes place. Here, people burn a straw effigy of a man in a large bonfire. Meanwhile, townspeople hold hands and dance, drinking wine around the fire. The event also includes a children's costume contest, where children play and wear wooden masks. The festival usually attracts around 800 busós and 200 other people in various costumes.

In 2009, Busójárás was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity because the festival is "not just a social event" but also has a significant influence on Hungarian culture.

Phuong Le