Dead in Italy honoured with 400 mn euros worth of flowers

Italians spent 400 million euros on flowers to place on the graves of family and friends Tuesday, All Souls Day, or Day of the Dead, according to a report by Coldiretti, an Italian agriculture trade group.

People from the overwhelmingly Catholic country will mostly pay between 1.5 euros and 15 euros for flowers to honour their loved ones, the report said.

The chrysanthemum is the preferred flower for the Catholic holiday, while daisies are also common.

All Souls' Day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some other Christian faiths recognise the holiday.

During the holiday Christians traditionally pay respect and remember the people whose souls they believe have gone to heaven.