Celebrating death in Bolivia

Bolivians are gathering the skulls of ancestors and taking part in an indigenous ritual to celebrate death.

Sporting hats and sunglasses, they share a round of drinks and a smoke with the skulls a day ahead of what has become a popular tradition known as the Day of the Skulls.

The skulls, endearingly called natitas, are believed to bring good luck.

Following tradition, the skulls are meant to be "gifted" to the owner, although many have the skull of a late loved one.

Elena Iporre explains how her family came across their boney brethren.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ELENA IPORRE, OWNER OF THE SKULLS OR NATITAS, SAYING:

"Socrates the skull would visit us every Monday, with its owner. They came to smoke and pray, and then they would take it back. And one day it came and it has been here ever since. And Paulinita, the female skull, we found her inside a black bag in a bus. We named it Paulinita because when we found it, it had a little hat with a rose in it, w