Historically, people from varied cultures have loved positioning critical structures and practices facing the east. Besides prayers and construction of worship centres, graves are dug in an east-west orientation.
One explanation of why graves face this direction has a religious meaning. Christians who believe in the resurrection of the dead have interpreted biblical scriptures and adjusted graves in a manner that will allow believers to see Jesus during his second coming.
“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be," reads Matthew 24:27 (NKJ).
The Yumanas of South America also values this direction. They buried their loved ones in a sitting position facing the east. This proves that the practice is not purely a reserve for Christians as they wait for the second coming of Jesus.
Other societies love the direction basically because it is the direction of the sunset. These societies and early Christians associated the west with evil.
Ancient Egyptians and Greeks built temples facing the East. The love for this direction was explained in details by a William Tyler Olcott book titled 'Sun Lore of All Ages' published in 1994.
However, some modern burial rituals have abandoned this historical observation and bury the dead facing any direction. This is evident in some modern cemeteries.