Busójárás
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The Busójárás is an annual Carnival celebration of the Šokci (Croatians) living in the town of Mohács, in Hungary in February. Traditions include folk music, masquerading, parades and dancing. Busójárás lasts six days, usually during February. It starts on a Thursday followed by the Kisfarsang carnival on Friday, with the biggest celebration, farsang vasárnap, on the seventh Sunday before Easter Sunday; the celebration then ends with Farsang Temetés on the following Tuesday.
Locals originating the Carnival from two similar, but different legends.
According to the more popular legend, during the Turkish occupation of the territory, the people of Mohács fled the town, and moved into the nearby swamps and woods, to avoid Ottoman (Turkish) troops. One night, while sitting and talking around the fire, suddenly an old Šokci man appeared from nowhere, and said the following to them: "Don't be afraid, your lives will turn to good soon, and you'll return to your homes. For that time, prepare for the battle, and carve various weapons and scary masks for yourselves, and wait for a stormy night when a masked knight will arrive to you.", then disappeared the same way, as he come. The refugees followed his order. Some days later, on a stormy night the knight arrived. He ordered them to put up their masks and go back to Mohács, while making as much noise as possible. They followed his lead. The Turks were so frightened from the noise, the masks and the storm in the night, that they thought that eventually demons had attacked them, and ran away from the town before sunrise.
The other, less popular legend is similar to the previous, but in this case, instead of the Turkish army, the winter had been scared away.
Whatever is the truth, the locals are celebrating the Busójárás in early February every year ever since, with "guest Busó teams" from mainly Serbia (local Šokci) and also from Poland.
