Tina Mation is an Irish children’s television artist and presenter behind Let’s Draw with Tina, with a nostalgic first-person Halloween feature that I hope may interest your readers.
Entitled “Whatever Happened to ‘Help the Halloween Party’?”, Tina recalls her childhood in Dublin, when Halloween meant homemade costumes, snap apple, bobbing for pennies and children going from door to door calling out “Help the Halloween Party!” rather than “Trick or Treat”.
It’s an affectionate look back at traditions many Irish readers will remember, with a gentle reflection on the enjoyment children get from making things themselves.
Tina’s first Let’s Draw with Tina television series was recorded in 1995 and she has spent more than 30 years on RTÉ encouraging children to draw and create.
Whatever happened to shouting “Help the Halloween Party!” at the neighbours’ doors? – By Tina Marion
When I was growing up in Dublin, that was what they called out on Halloween night. They had never heard of “Trick or Treat” and I don’t think we felt we were missing anything.
Halloween was a great adventure, even though we had very little in the way of costumes or treats.
Our disguises were usually made from whatever we could find at home. An old coat, a hat and perhaps a little soot on your face could transform you into a completely different character.
If you had one of those plastic Halloween masks with a thin piece of elastic, you were doing well, until the elastic snapped. You could spend half the evening tying it together again!
The games were wonderfully simple.
There was snap apple, which was much harder than it looked and bobbing for pennies in a basin of water. I can still remember the excitement when somebody finally managed to catch a coin.
We didn’t have fireworks. A sparkler was enough to make the evening feel special.
And when we went from door to door calling “Help the Halloween Party!”, the neighbours generally gave us apples or monkey nuts.
An orange was a real treat. A Brazil nut or walnut seemed wonderfully exotic.
What strikes me now is how much fun we made for ourselves.
We didn’t expect everything to be bought or provided. We made costumes, invented games and found entertainment in the simplest things.
That enjoyment of making things stayed with me.
My first Let’s Draw with Tina television series was recorded in 1995, and I’ve spent more than 30 years on RTÉ helping children discover what they can create with a pencil and a little imagination.
This Halloween, I’ve brought those childhood memories into a new activity book called Help the Halloween Party!
It features a friendly Gargoyle character, with colouring, tracing, drawing and creative activities children can enjoy at home.
I’m delighted to offer readers a free 14-page digital edition of the book.
I hope it gives families a chance to enjoy a little of the homemade Halloween fun I remember so fondly.
And who knows?
Perhaps one day we’ll hear children knocking on doors and shouting “Help the Halloween Party!” again.
Download Tina Mation’s free 14-page digital Help the Halloween Party! Artivity Book, featuring Halloween colouring, tracing and drawing activities.
https://tinamation.net/halloween-book/ – No purchase necessary.