According the legend the native Croatians, who escaped to the moorland of the Mohács Island, grew tired of the Turkish dominations; so they dressed in frightening masks and armed with self-made rattles and noisy instrument they crossed the Danube in boats under the cover of the night to drive the Turks away from Mohács. 

The Busó's clothing is a short sheepskin coat turned inside out, wide trousers filled with straw. Over this they pulled colorfully gnarled women's stocking knitted from wool and sandals made of leather.

The woolly cloaks are fastened up by belts or tethers and a cattlebell is hung on it. In their hands they held the essential rattle or wooden maces with many spikes.

The most important thing which makes one a real busó is the mask with sheepskin hood, mostly carved from the wood of willows and traditionally painted with the blood animals. 

The women, whose faces are covered with veils, the men dressed in wedding clothes and the people dressed in costumes are also part of the masqueraders in Mohács. 
Today's Busó parade starts at the Kóló Square, the centre of the old folk custom.

The dressed-up busós and masqueraders gather here, this is the meeting point of the groups equipped with cannons, the Devil's wheel, carts, horns, tubs, boats, and other spectacular objects and vehicles.

The carnival is celebrated with enormous noise on the bank of the river Danube and in the surrounding streets. At nightfall the masked crowd returns to the main square to dance around the giant bonfire and fool about with people.

The program of Shrove Sunday ends with a dance until daybreak, but the people of Mohács also celebrate the carnival on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday they visit houses, greeting the residents. 

On Tuesday they gather up at Kóló Square anew, they march along the main street, and by placing a coffin on another bonfire on the main square.

This coffin represents winter, and by burning it and dancing and joking around it, people say goodbye to he cold season and welcome the arrival of spring. The time of rejoicing continues all night long, ending the festivities of the Carnival season. 

Full programme: 

24 February (Monday)

1 pm at the Šokac Circle (Sokac Kör, 17 Táncsics Street): Wreath-laying at the memorial plaque of Anka Kersics. Music by the group Komšiluk, followed by the traditional visits of Busós to the houses on Kóló Square and in the surrounding streets
 

25 February – Shrove Tuesday

2.30 pm Gathering of the Busó groups on Kóló Square

3 pm March of the Busó groups along the main street to the main square

4 pm Free Carnival celebration in the city center

4 pm ”Picture of Busós” and “Picture of Šokac girls” on the stairs of the Town Hall

5 pm Performance of folk dance ensemble Zora on the stage on Széchenyi Square

5.30 pm Šokac folk songs performed by Éva Menyhárt

6 pm Live tambura music performed by local players

6 pm on Széchenyi Square: Lighting the bonfire – burning of the coffin, featuring the Buso Club

Location: 
7700 Mohács, Széchenyi tér 1.

Earlier:
 

20 February (Thursday) „Children’s Carnival”

9.30 am  “All dress up for Carnival” – Carnival preparations

11 am Busó-wheel competition at the Busó Court (17 Eötvös St.)

3 pm Carnival procession starting at Šokac Circle (Táncsics St. – Szabadság St. – Széchenyi Square)

3 pm Free Carnival celebration of young jankeles and little Busós in the streets and on the squares

3.20 pm On the open-air stage on Széchenyi Square: children’s folk-dance groups and Busó groups

4 pm Demonstration of tools and accessories of the Busó Carnival

4.30 pm Dance house with István Darazsacz

5 pm Opening of exhibition at Kanizsai Dorottya Museum (9 Kisfaludy St.)

5 pm Children’s Concert of group ALMA at the Youth Center (17 Széchenyi Square)

7 pm Dance house with the Busós with music by Dunavkinje and Mladi Tamburaši at Duna Office House (4-6 Szabadság St.)

21 February (Friday)

1 pm Regional German folk-singing contest organized by the Local Government of German Minority and the Park Utca Elementary School in the German Nationality House (51 Kossuth L. St)

2 pm Performances of the folk-dance groups, Busó groups and music groups orchestras on the open-air stage on Széchenyi Square

3 pm Performances of the folk-dance groups, Busó groups and music groups orchestras on the open-air stage on Deák Square

4 pm Exhibition opening and winners’ announcement of the drawing competition „Six days of the Busó Carnival” at the Busó Court (17-19 Eötvös St)

5 pm Opening of the exhibitions “Masks, Busó tools and other handicraft objects of folk art” Exhibition of selected works of Busó-mask carvers, accessory makers and other handicraft masters and “Scenes from the lives of the Šokci people” by painter Mária Pecsuvácz at Kossuth Movie Theater (1 Deák Square), featuring music group Šokadija and the Carnival pipers

6 pm Concert of József Versendi Kovács, Master of Folk Art and his friends – Söndörgő, Vujicsics, Dunavkinje, group Vizin, Balázs Csonka and his band – at Kossuth Movie Theater, 1 Deák Square (with entrance fee).

8 pm South-Slavic dance house with the music group Poklade at Duna Office House (4-6 Szabadság St.) (with entrance fee)
 

22 February (Saturday)

9 am 48^th ‘Lajos Schneider’ Folk Singers’ Contest and Folk Music Talent Contest at Kossuth Movie Theater (1 Deák Square)

10 am in the city centre: folk art and handicraft fair

10 am in the court of the Serbian Church: Performances of tambura ensembles, dance groups and Busó groups

10 am Tastes of Mohács – open kitchen at the Busó Court, cooking with Busó group Vesele Buše

10 am „Jankele Court“ – Get acquainted with the Jankeles. Interactive exhibition and workshop with Busó group Sebaj, Tastes of traditional dishes and dance lesson (Eötvös Str. 6)

10 am on the Folk Stage at the Busó Court: Performances of tambura groups, Busós and dance ensembles

10 am Performance of the Matyó Dance Ensemble with dance house on the main stage on Széchenyi Square

10.30 am Performances of dance groups, music groups and Busós on the main stage on Széchenyi Square

11 am Introduction to Serbian gastronomy in the court of the Serbian Church

2 pm Wedding march of the Vesele Buše Busó group from the Busó Court to Bensheim Square (also visiting the ferry port) and back to Széchenyi Square

2 pm – 6 pm in Síp Street: ”Veselje sa Bušama” – ”Joyful celebration with the Busós”, presentation of mask carving, Carnival games, cart decoration

3.20 pm ”Rebirth of the legend” the Drugovi Busó Group remembers the 2^nd Battle of Mohács, with wreath-laying at the statue of the Three brave soldiers on Széchenyi Square

4 pm Performance of dance group Zora, then dance house on Széchenyi Square with music by Poklade

4 pm Gala evening of ‘Lajos Schneider’ Folk Singers’ Contest and Folk Music Talent Contest, concert of the participants of the International Meeting of Carnival Pipers at Kossuth Movie Theater (1 Deák Square)

6 pm Folk rock concert on the stage on Deák Square

7 pm Hungarian ball organized by the Reading Circle of Mohács Citizens with music by Póló (with entrance fee) at the Youth Center (17 Széchenyi Square)

8 pm South-Slavic dance house at Duna Office House, music by group ZORA led by Kićo (4-6 Szabadság St.) (with entrance fee)
 

23 February – Carnival Sunday

9 am in main street: Folk art and handicraft fair

9 am – 11.30 am Carnival preparations of the Busó group Télűzők – 7/b Vörösmarty St.

10 am Meeting with the members of Busó group Kürtös at the Busó Court

10 am at the Kossuth Movie Theater (1 Deák Square) Folk-dance performance of nationalities

10 am Tastes of Mohács – open kitchen at the Busó Court, cooking with Busó group Vesele Buše

10 am on Széchenyi Square: Short introductions of Busó groups

10 am Meeting members of Busó group Kolompos and food-tasting in the court of the Serbian Church (1 Szerb St.)

10 am on the stage at the Serbian Church: Performances of bands, dance groups and Busó groups

10 am on the stage at the Busó Court: Performances of music groups, Busós and dance ensembles

10 am „Two in one“ – Two masters of folk art in one creative workshop, 7/a Kígyó St. (with entrance fee)

10.30 am on Széchenyi Square: Šokac dance house led by István Darazsacz, music: Poklade

12 pm Széchenyi Square: Concert of the band Komšiluk

12.30 pm at Šokac Haven (Sokac-rév): performances of dance groups, pipers and Busós followed by Busós crossing the Danube in boats

1.30 pm  Wreath-laying at the memorial plaque of István ”Páták” Pávkovics together with Busó-group Drugovi (36 Gólya St.)

1.30 pm on the stage on Széchenyi Square: Folk-dance show of the nationalities

1.40 pm on Kóló Square: Gathering of the Busós and Carnival groups

2 pm Busó procession from Kóló Square to Széchenyi Square

2 pm on the stage of the Busó Court: Performances of folk dance groups and tambura players

2.20 pm Šokac folk songs performed by Éva Menyhárt on Széchenyi Square

3.30 pm Busó initiation ceremony and welcome speech by the Mayor on the open-air stage on Széchenyi Square

3.40 pm Free Carnival celebration with the Busós in the city center

4 pm Performances of Busó groups and folk dance groups on the stage on Széchenyi Square

4.30 pm Setting the Carnival coffin afloat in the ferry port, featuring the Bödönhajós Busó group

5.30 pm Music by Mohács tambura groups on the stage on Széchenyi Square

5.30 pm on Széchenyi Square: Lighting the bonfire and dancing Kóló with the Busós

8 pm Dance house with the Busós at Duna Office House (4-6 Szabadság St.) music by the group Bácska (with entrance fee)

More: 
mohacsibusojaras.hu

MTI Photo: Ujvári Sándor