Plenty of life in Mexico's Day of the Dead party

MEXICO CITY - Death can be a morbid and solemn subject in many cultures, but in Mexico, it's a cause for celebration - at least for two nights a year.

On Nov 1-2, people throughout the country deck their homes, streets and relatives' graves with flowers, candles, confetti and colorful skulls for the Day of the Dead.

The traditional festival honoring the deceased centers around the belief that the living and the dead can commune during the brief period.