Busójárás, Mohács, Hungary

The Busó festivities at Mohács in southern Hungary are a six-day carnival in late February to mark the end of winter, named for the ''busós,'' frightening-looking costumed people (traditionally men) wearing wooden masks and big woolly cloaks. The Sokače, a Slavic folk, wore scary blood tinted masks made of sheepskin, huge furs, cowbells on their belts and with clappers in their hands they chase away winter every year with the power of fire symbolizing the sun.