A recap of Hungary’s biggest carnival celebration: Busó festival 2019 Photo Gallery

Photo: Daily News Hungary

Hungary’s biggest carnival celebration, the beloved Busó festival started last week, and it brought 6 days of joy to its visitors who travelled to Mohács to celebrate the carnival season. If you could not be there in person, here are the highlights of this year’s festival captured on camera. Be part of the experience!

The so-called Busójárás [Busó-walking] is an annual celebration of the Šokci ethnic group living in the town of Mohács, Hungary. It is always held in February, at the end of the Carnival season and it lasts six days. This year, the celebration started last Thursday on the 28 February, and it was followed by the so-called Kisfarsang [Little Farsang] on Friday.

The biggest celebration, as always, was on Farsang Sunday, which is on the seventh Sunday before Easter Sunday.

The celebration ended with the so-called Farsangtemetés [Burial of Farsang] on Tuesday (5 March).

It is called Busó walking because the streets are literally filled with the Busós who walk around the city and entertain the carnival’s visitors. The carnival was very popular this year again which is apparent from the crowd.

As Daily News Hungary reported earlier, a record-high number of 1600 people dressed up as Busós this year, and organisers expected 80-100,000 visitors.

This climax of this year’s carnival was yet again the bonfire which was lit on Sunday. People sing and dance around the fire which is a symbol of “burying winter” and welcoming the upcoming season of spring. OF course, apart from the bonfire, countless other programs were organised including the traditional coffin burning, folk singing competition, dance performances, and mask-making.