In France and some other European countries, All Souls Day was observed by visits of families to the graves of loved ones, where they left chrysanthemums.[7] Writer Marguerite Yourcenar observed that
"autumnal rites are among the oldest celebrated on earth. It appears that in every country the Day of the Dead occurs at the year's end, after the last harvests, when the barren earth is though to give passage to the souls lying beneath it."[8]
She also notes exceptions to the autumn season, such as the Buddhist Bon festival which is held in summer.[9] But similarly themed celebrations of honoring the dead have been practiced since prehistoric times in many Asian and African cultures.