AFTER LAST YEAR’S Halloween was very much plagued by doubt and worry thanks to a global pandemic with no clear end in sight, Halloween 2021 may feel especially exciting for those ready to celebrate it. Thanks to ongoing vigilance and continuing vaccination efforts, many people in the U.S. are now fortunate enough to feel cautiously optimistic after all those awful months that have passed since March 2020.

Etching from Jean-Jacques Manget 'Traite de la peste' 1721.
Etching of a plague doctor in the era’s personal protective equipment. (Image by Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

I am a historian of pandemics. And yes, Halloween is my favorite holiday because I get to wear my plague doctor costume complete with a beaked mask.

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