Busójárás is the end-of-winter carnival custom of Mohács’s Šokci community, with frightening wooden masks, sheepskin cloaks and loud bells or rattles. A popular local legend links the disguises to driving away Ottoman forces, but it should be understood as a story associated with the custom, rather than proof of how the festival began. The living tradition centres on the seasonal farewell to winter.

UNESCO recognised the festivities in 2009. Its account describes a six-day celebration involving mask carvers, children, processions and ritual fire, including the burning of a coffin that symbolises winter. The spectacle depends on makers and local groups as much as on the crowds watching them. Look closely at the carved masks and the different roles within the procession: they make this a community tradition, not simply a generic costumed parade.