Carnival holds a special place in the Hungarian calendar, deeply rooted in folk tradition. February here means farsang – costumes, masks and fancy dress. With no parties to dress up for right now, we dove into the Fortepan photo archive to select these images of seasonal frivolity decades ago.
In years gone by, carnival was almost only the prerogative of children, the grown-ups only there to make the right costume. The few rental companies were pricy, and their range limited. Therefore, the more imaginative the parent, the better the costume.
Looking through these pictures of carnivals of yore, you can see that a lot has changed over the decades, but carnival remains the most fun you can have in other people’s clothes. Back then, parties were confined to the last three days before Lent.
To this extent, farsang has changed considerably: today, festive celebrations are held throughout February and early March.
The biggest one in Hungary takes place in Mohács, a huge weekend blow-out that banishes winter, hails the coming of spring and dispatches the feared Turk back to whence he came.
More simple gatherings involve the devouring of fancy doughnuts – sure to be a feature this year despite the lack of dressing-up parties.
