Procession of Silence in San Luis Potosi

The Procession of Silence in San Luis Potosi is an annual event to mourn the Passion of Christ and honor Our Lady of Solitude. It occurs on the night of Good Friday, beginning at the El Carmen Church, where it originated, and winds through the streets of the historic center of the city of San Luis Potosí. During the event there are the sounds of drums and bugles, but no participant or spectator speaks, giving the event its name. It is one of the most important Holy Week observances in Mexico and was declared part of the cultural heritage of the state of San Luis Potosí in 2013.

Organized by the Tradiciones Potosinas association, the procession commemorates as an act of mourning the Passion of Christ. It is a reenactment of the Stations of the Cross, with each station marked by a heavy platform with the relevant images. This procession if one of the most important Holy Week observances in Mexico, one of the most important religious event for the state of San Luis Potosí and emblematic for the city. It is also a major tourist event, attractive over 160,000 visitors to the city, with about fifteen percent coming from outside of Mexico.

The procession takes place on Good Friday, in the historical center of the city of San Luis Potosi, which is filled with churches and colonial era buildings. Illuminated with candles, the area has a church-like atmosphere and even though thousands of spectators line the streets, no one will speak during the hours of the procession, which gives it the name.

The main participants of the procession are the members of various religious brotherhoods, who carry and accompany large platforms with religious images through the streets. In 2013, there were thirty such brotherhoods which included the Cofradía del Virgen del Carmen, the Cofradía del Santo Entierro, Cofradía del Descendimiento, Cofradía del Ecce Homo and the Cofradía de la Soledad, which carries an image of Our Lady of Solitude. The members of the various brotherhoods are identified by the colors of their garments, which identified their home parish and shows the influence of the processions of Seville. The most noticeable participants are the costaleros, which were a special tunic and pointed hoods with cloths covering the faces. The brotherhoods participate as a form of penance, with faces covered and some even walking with chains attached to their ankles. Other participants include adults and children in various dress which include altar boys, Nazarenes, Our Lady of Macarena, Roman soldiers, women wearing traditional Potosi rebozos and carrying candles, bullfighters, politicians and artists.

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