The silleteros carry history on their backs
A story in three parts
Some traditions cannot be explained — they are felt. In the mountains of Santa Elena, where the mist caresses the flower fields and hands are filled with blossoms at dawn, the silleteros have turned their craft into a living memory. Every August, during Medellín’s Silleteros Parade, hundreds of men, women, girls, and boys carry on their backs not just flower arrangements, but the symbolic weight of heritage, of land, of a way of being in the world.
Where do the flowers come from?
The flowers we see parading were planted, harvested, arranged, and tied with the kind of patience passed down through generations. No machine can replace the human gesture of bundling a bouquet, nor can any workshop replicate the intimate rhythm of weaving a silleta. Each one tells a story: of a family, a year’s work, of love, silence, and resilience.
In this series, I share three stories inspired by this tradition:
— When the rooster crows before dawn: the eve of the silleteros’ parade (Part One)
— The night of the silletas, narrated by the grandmother (Part Two)
— The day of the silleteros’ parade (Part Three)
Part 1: Before the Rooster Crows…
As told by the grandfather
A boy and his sister quietly observe their grandfather’s preparations the night before the parade. The scent of flowers, the secrets of the land, and a restrained excitement mark this first tale.
Part 2: The Night of the Silletas
As told by the grandmother
From her kitchen, the grandmother recalls the nights before, when the patio was filled with voices, coffee, scissors, and memories. A tribute to the hands that have crafted silletas for generations.
Part 3: The Parade Day
As told by Sara
It’s parade day. Sara walks with her silleta for the first time. On her back she carries not only flowers, but her family’s story. A tale of pride, heritage, and the emotion of blooming in motion.
This is not a chronicle or an official account. It is a view from within — from memory and emotion — where the voices of a girl, a grandmother, and a family that blooms through the body invite us to look beyond the colors. Behind every flower, there is a root.
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