Families tidy graves, lay flowers—especially chrysanthemums—and light candles known as znicze, turning graveyards into seas of flickering light. The roots of the widely observed Catholic tradition can be traced back to the ancient Slavic feast of Dziady, when people believed the spirits of their ancestors returned to earth. As dusk falls, cemeteries glow through the night, most shops close, and roads fill with travelers heading to their home towns to honor their loved ones.