World records
Over the last few weeks, people around the world have been taking part in Nativity scenes as they get ready to celebrate Christmas, but the one in the Filipino city of San Jose del Monte was much bigger than most as it broke the Guinness World Record for the most people in a Nativity scene.
According to Guinness, 2,101 people took part in the event, breaking the record for the largest number of living figures in a Nativity scene by almost 1,000. The previous record was set in the small town of Calne in the UK, with a total of 1,254 taking part in 2016. It was held at the Altraza Spine Road in Barangay Tungkong Mangga, just outside of Metro Manila, on Friday 20th December at 6pm. The current mayor, Arthur Robes, and hs wife also took part as the event was overseen by the local government. Swapnil Dangarikar from the Guinness Book of World Records was there to adjudicate and made the announcement that the World Record had been broken.
Lanterns and video games
San Jose del Monte, in the province of Bulacan, has something of a track record of when it comes to setting Guinness World Records. In 2017, they broke another record, as the most people ever turned out for a lantern parade – over 14,000. Participants used hand-made lanterns made with soda and alcohol cans, giving them a new life. It was the city’s second attempt at breaking the record, and it was completed emphatically despite the rain.
Will there be any more records broken in the area in the future? City official Florida “Rida” Robes described the latest record as their way of “reaching out to people of other faiths … as we highlight the spirit of giving and selflessness this season.” Perhaps we’ll see them break another record around the Christmas period in 2020. If you’re interested in big groups of people breaking records, find out how many fans broke the record for the largest gathering for a video game. For more examples of Guinness World Records, check out the celebrities who have been setting them.
