In Manila, the Day of the Dead is for the living

MANILA (Reuters Life!) - It's the Day of the Dead in the Philippines, but this festival is more for the living, who throng cemeteries to picnic and commune with their loved ones.

The feast, also known as All Saint's Day or All Soul's Day, is little-known elsewhere in Asia but is a national holiday in the mainly Roman Catholic Philippines.

After lighting candles and praying at the tombs of their loved ones, Filipino families spend the whole day in the country's graveyards, eating and chatting.

"We celebrate this every year, no fail. We all come here together and bring food, and we stay all day," said Lolita Capoquian, who came to pay her respects to her daughter who was killed in a car accident 14 years ago.

The Day of the Dead festival has its origins in a pre-Hispanic belief that the dead return to earth one day each year to visit their loved ones.

Observed by Catholic communities around the world, thousands of people celebrate the festival on Nov 1 and 2.

In Manila, traffic is gridlocked around cemeteries and street vendors do a roaring trade in food, flowers and candles. North Cemetery is the city's biggest, attracting up to 3 million visitors during the two-day feast.

Despite the party atmosphere, many Filipinos said the festival helped them keep in touch with their loved ones from beyond the grave.

"Our parents have both passed away, so we come here every year on All Souls Day, that's all we can do for them. It's like we're still taking care of them even if they're gone," said Gina Bantaw at her family's graves.