Earlier today I read the news that Hungary had gotten a new place added to the World Heritage List. Then I looked up the official World Heritage List site of Unesco, but did not find it there. But, then I realized that Hungary indeed has got a new place/activity added to a Unesco list, but it is not the World Heritage List, but the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
Busó festivities at Mohács: masked end-of-winter carnival custom
That is the title of what has been added to the Unescos Intangible Cultural Heritage list. But what is it? It is really a celebration welcoming spring, and leaving winter behind. It is leaving the evil and turning into the light. It is conquering the new, boys turning into men and girls into women.
It is also a commemoration of the Turks leaving Mohács in 1687. It is not supported by historical evidence, but legend has it that the Busó people (always wearing masks and with hidden identity) came and forced the Turks to leave Mohács. With their frightening customes they seemed even more scary, so this also influenced the end result of the battle.
This event takes place on Quinquagesima (or Shrove Sunday), the Sunday before Ash Sunday, fifty days before easter Sunday. It is not only a one day program, but that weekend it is carnival in Mohács and there are loads of programs happening. Normally this weekend is in February, but sometimes it can be in March.
Busó festivities at Mohács
