The scary, uncontrollable spirits, ghosts and witches that terrified mankind over millennia had lost their grip by the middle of the 20th century. Yet Halloween just wasn’t complete without things to scare us – and the entertainment industry was ready to fill that need with haunted house theme parks, terrifying movies and unforgettable horror stories in books, magazines and TV serial shows. This final installment of the Halloween story will look at why and under which circumstances we enjoy being scared – and what story elements scare us.

Much of the evolution of Halloween celebrations after the Second World War took place in America since most of Europe was focused for many years on economic recovery from near total destruction. Halloween costumes of every imaginable sort could be purchased and parties with amazing baked treats became commonplace. Scary Halloween movies were widely enjoyed and major theme parks created popular spooky haunts to terrify adults and children alike.

By the early years of the 19th century, much of the religious fervour around Halloween caused by the Reformation had been replaced by games and parties throughout the British Isles to celebrate the end of the harvest and beginning of Winter. The suffering and starvation of millions of people caused by the Great Irish Potato Famine created a flood of immigrants to the United States – immigrants who brought their Halloween celebration customs with them and made them part of the American culture.