Day: October 1, 2009

Vibria Saturday in the National Museum

Posted on by Budapest Guide
Hungarian National Museum - Vibria Saturdays
Hungarian National Museum - Vibria Saturdays

We have just added the Hungarian National Museum to our Museum guide, and it was right on time… This Saturday they will arrange what they call Vibria Saturday (the call it Vibria Saturdays – so it might be this will become a Saturday habit in the National Museum). So what is Vibria Saturday? The museum will be open between 10.00 and 22.00 and they will have reduced entrance fees!

This coming Saturday (October 3rd) they will have a special guided tour in the exhibition entitled “Princessses from Afar- Catalonia and Hungary in the Middle ages”. This special guided tour will be held 16.00 in Spanish and 17.00 in English. To participate be in the entrance hall of the Hungarian National Museum at the given time.

If it sounds interesting, you know where to go! Personally I would rather drop by Pampas Steakhouse just a few blocks away, but nothing sais that you cannot do both!

Busó festivities at Mohács at Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Posted on by Budapest Guide
Busó festivities
Busó festivities

Earlier today I read the news that Hungary had gotten a new place added to the World Heritage List. Then I looked up the official World Heritage List site of Unesco, but did not find it there. But, then I realized that Hungary indeed has got a new place/activity added to a Unesco list, but it is not the World Heritage List, but the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.

Busó festivities at Mohács: masked end-of-winter carnival custom
That is the title of what has been added to the Unescos Intangible Cultural Heritage list. But what is it? It is really a celebration welcoming spring, and leaving winter behind. It is leaving the evil and turning into the light. It is conquering the new, boys turning into men and girls into women.

Busó in Mohács
Busó in Mohács

It is also a commemoration of the Turks leaving Mohács in 1687. It is not supported by historical evidence, but legend has it that the Busó people (always wearing masks and with hidden identity) came and forced the Turks to leave Mohács. With their frightening customes they seemed even more scary, so this also influenced the end result of the battle.

This event takes place on Quinquagesima (or Shrove Sunday), the Sunday before Ash Sunday, fifty days before easter Sunday. It is not only a one day program, but that weekend it is carnival in Mohács and there are loads of programs happening. Normally this weekend is in February, but sometimes it can be in March.

Busó festivities at Mohács