Revelers turn into Street Vendors to Take Part in Carnaval and Make Money

03/03/2017 - 12h02

The "Carnaval of the Crisis" turned many revelers into mobile vendors in the Carnaval groups in the streets throughout Brazil. In Rio, banners and shouts promoted "sacolés" ("alcsicles") - also referred to as little cold ones or little jellies - frozen treats made of fruit juice and vodka or sugarcane liquor, competed for attention on the ground with the costumes and carnival parades.

Found among the "reveling street vendors", were state public servants wanting to make up for the overdue payment of their salaries, university students trying to pay for their college tuition as well as their own revelry and laborers released from civil construction jobs after the end of projects in the Capital of Rio de Janeiro.

"It was the only way I could find to take part in Carnaval. I can't do without my salary nor go without celebrating Carnaval", said 46-year-old Marlos Perreira, an employee from Faetec (Technical School Support Foundation).

With the sacolés (alcsicles) he found a way to take advantage of the opportunity presented by Carnaval. With two months of salary overdue, Pereira was selling each frozen treat for R$ 5 (US$ 1,60) at the AfroRaggea parade.

Alexandre Simões, a 34-year-old assistant stone mason, has been without work since last October, and ever since then, he has been selling these little jellies to make money and pay his bills.

On average, he has been selling about 120 per day during Carnaval at R$5 (US$ 1,60) each. "About a year ago it started getting more difficult to find a job in construction.

Folks have to make ends meet", said Simões, at the Bloco das Carmelitas (Carmelitas Group).

Revelers selling sacolés (alcsicles) are nothing new. But even those who have "worn both hats" for many years have noticed the increase in competition.

In Olinda (PE), there were unemployed revelers who exchanged the celebration for a Styrofoam cooler and small businessmen who took part in the revelry to make "a little bit extra" during this crisis.

Gláucia, a 30-year-old 'dedicated reveler' and who also is the mother of four daughters, saw the holiday as an opportunity to make some money, "even if it was only a tiny amount", as she said.

She got together her husband's bicycle (who is also unemployed), and a Styrofoam cooler and hit the streets selling water and beer in Olinda. The distance from her house to her "job" is 30 minutes of pedaling. Based upon the merchant's calculations, she sold an average of 60 bottles of water per day. "That's a good start for the month."

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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