Warding off winter in Mohács
It has become a tradition in Mohács that during the week of Busójárás, children kearn about this folk tradtition as part of the ‘Busóproject’ at the Communitiy House. In the afternoon, we had the pleasure of hosting Marián Barics, the leader of the Télűző (Warding off winter) Group and his companion, who wa dressed in the traditional attire of the Sokci girls. From them, we learned that the Busójárás is a spring-welcoming, winter-farewell, and fertility-ensuring folk custom, originating from the mask-wearing and dramatic folk traditions of the Southern Slavs, mostly Roman Catholic, living in Mohács and the surrounding area. This tradition is also referred to as “poklade” by the “Sokci” people. They also told us the legend of Busójárás, and the children of the groups took part in telling the story. After that, a presentation of the traditional attire followed, and there was even an opportunity to try on the costumes. This was followed by a craft activity where the boys made fridge magnets, while the girls created decorated masks. To the children’s great delight, the dessert for the afternoon was the traditional carnival doughnut, which was quickly devoured. The Mohács Busójárás has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009. Since 2012, the Mohács Busójárás has been considered a Hungarian cultural heritage, a recognition primarily due to the success of the local civil society, the Busó groups, mask carvers, and costume makers.
Annamária Éles, Mentor
