Intangible Cultural Heritage
Busó festivities at Mohács: masked end-of-winter carnival custom
The Busó festivities at Mohács in southern Hungary are a sixday carnival in late February to mark the end of winter named for the busós frighteninglooking costumed people traditionally men wearing wooden masks and big woolly cloaks The festival is multifaceted including a childrens 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 horsedrawn 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 The tradition originated with the Croatian minority in Mohács but today the busó is a general emblem of the city and a commemoration of the great events of its history More than a social event the carnival is an expression of belonging to a city a social group and a nation It plays an important social role by offering a chance for selfexpression in a communal setting The arts underlying the festivities are preserved by selforganized groups of busós of all cultural backgrounds many of whom pass on the techniques of mask carving and ritual celebration to younger generations
Hungary -