Christmas 2018

The countdown to Christmas 2018 is well and truly on.

As the big day draws ever nearer we've put together a list of some of the best Christmas-related records of the past 12 months involving trees, food and musical instruments.

So have a look through and see if there are any which you may be tempted to try yourself.

Most lights on an artificial Christmas tree

Most lights on an artificial Christmas tree

Universal Studios Japan lights up its theme park in Osaka every year with this dazzling display.

And 2018 has proved to be no different as it upped the record for the ninth time in eight years.

Since 2011 Universal Studios Japan has raised the record from 260,498 lights to 580,806 achieved in October this year, which is 10,000 more than last year’s total.

Longest wish list to Santa

The Christmas spirit was alive and well in Beijing last December.

On 28 December 2017 Beijing Hyundai and Mohe Tourism Bureau collected an impressive 124,969 wishes which were printed on a scroll and presented at the Santa Village in Mohe, Heilongjiang, China.

Fastest time to dress in a Santa costume

Fastest time to dress in a Santa costume

André Ortolf from Germany has numerous record titles, and when Guinness World Records 2019 was launched earlier this year he added another one.

The fact it was September didn’t stop Andre feeling Christmassy as he managed to slip into his scarlet suit in 30.94 seconds on 5 September.

Fastest time to assemble a yule log

Viewers of the Christmas edition of Saturday Morning with James Martin on 8 December last year saw James and a second contestant, Galton Blackiston go head-to-head to claim the title of Fastest time to assemble a yule log.

Broadcast live on British channel ITV, James won the contest and set the record with a time of 1 minute 17 seconds.

Largest tuba ensemble

Largest tuba ensemble

You may not immediately think of tubas when it comes to Christmas. But when they set a record while playing a number of Christmas carols and hymns, they more than qualify for this list.

The most-recent record-breaking ensemble was achieved by the Kansas City Symphony (US) on Saturday 7 December and made up of 835 participants at TUBACHRISTMAS.

The ensemble broke the record title with a 6 min 34 sec rendition of Silent Night during a performance of 13 Christmas carols and hymns.

Largest cup of hot chocolate

Largest cup of hot chocolate/cocoa

There’s nothing quite like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day.

So imagine one containing 4,816.6 litres (1059.4 UK gal, 1272.3 US gal) of chocolate yumminess.

Well that’s what happened in Mexico on 6 January this year when Municipo de Uruapa set a new record for Largest cup of hot chocolate/cocoa in honour of Three Kings Day, the day marks the arrival of the Three Wise Men at Jesus’ manger manger.

The drink itself contained more than 600 kg of locally sourced semi-sweet cocoa.

Largest chestnut roaster

Largest chestnut roaster

Roasting chestnuts is a staple of Christmas, Nat King Cole wrote a song about the activity which is one of the most recognisable festive tunes ever penned.

Now the Comune of Roccamonfina and Associazione Verde Collina have made the Largest chestnut roaster in Italy.

Measuring 10.48 m (34 ft 4 in) long by 6.23 m (20 ft 5 in) in diameter and weighing 650 kg (1,433 lb), it is able to roast more than 1,100 kg (2,425 lb) of chestnuts at once.

Fastest time to eat all chocolates from an advent calendar

Kevin Strahle, also known as L.A. Beast, has made his eating challenges his forte.

So in December 2017 it made sense for him to attempt a Christmas eating challenge by making his way through the chocolates in an advent calendar in record time.

Not only did he have to down the bitesize treats, he also had to open the doors in numerical order meaning, the same as if you go at the traditional speed of one chocolate per day.

Kevin managed to down all 24 chocolates in 1 minute 27.84 seconds.

Fastest marathon wearing lederhosen

Fastest marathon wearing lederhosen

Lederhosen may not be Christmassy, but setting a record in them at the Nottingham Christmas Marathon in the UK helps!

Briton David Smith set a record at the race on 3 December 2017, running in lederhosen.

David set his record at 3 hours 33 minutes and finished 55th in the marathon overall.