The Hungarian way to welcome spring

i know... spring is definitely coming, but i can't help to tell something about winter Mohacs Carnival.

i do it now, because the purpose of this ancient Croatian community born festivity was to scare the winter out and eventually warmly welcome the spring. as far as i can see, they succeeded.

Mohacs is a town located in the southern part of Hungary, a few kilometres away from Croatia boundaries. Mohacs is a quiet harbour centre on the Danube bank, that wakes up for Busojaras Day in the end of February, when over 4000 visitors pour out in its streets and squares to see the Busos cross the Danube and parade in Mohacs avenues.

well, first things first.
who are the Busos? they are local men masked with sheep fur coats all over their body and frightening or otherwise extremely funny wooden masks, all with the same fashion traits, shaped by a long tradition of winter-frighteners.
it must be said that Busos take pretty much advantage by their anonimity. they use to strongly hug girls while passing the streets or pressing them to their chest to dance an imaginary music. i speack for personal experience, i came back to Budapest with all my girls telling me that i ended up having a wooden wig on my bun after a dozen of those hugs.

the local girls are masked in a more classy way, with masks that recall very much the Venetian ones. they just wear the local women custom with heavy wool stockings and red skirts on their body.

the core of the celebration is the bonfire in Szecheny Square in the late afternoon. a big bonfire indeed. nobody seem to care too much for safety even tough the crowd stands practically one metre away from a huge fire, and pieces of hot ash fall on their heads brought by the wind.
the Busos dance around the fire to ultimately scare away the winter.
i found myself dancing with dozens of people in circle around the bonfire, singing Hungarian songs i didn't even know, hugged by unknown people, laughing with little happy kids.

folk musicians came from Balcan countries and from all over Hungary to play their cheerful instrumental music practically all day long in Mohacs squares to amuse people. folk dancers danced almost 2 hours on a stage in the main square before the bonfire, with their colorful dresses flying in the air whith their pirouettes.

i saw some of the Great Beauty in all this.