The U.S. capital has added a new Guinness World Record title under its belt after 1,435 couples simultaneously kissed under a giant mistletoe sculpture during the National Kiss Under the National Mistletoe event on December 13, surpassing the previous mark of 480 couples.
The record attempt drew a festive crowd as hearts and lips met beneath the holiday greenery in downtown Washington D.C. amid seasonal celebrations.
The record-breaking moment occurred under a 600-pound, 10-foot-wide mistletoe installation suspended high above Anthem Row NW, a public art piece that now stands as a seasonal landmark.
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Mass mistletoe kiss event
The National Kiss Under the National Mistletoe event drew thousands to downtown Washington. Participants secured their place in the record books by positioning themselves beneath the mistletoe and locking lips for the required duration.
The Washington Post reported that a Guinness World Records official adjudicator, Michael Empric, oversaw the event and enforced the rules. He made sure that each couple kissed for the required five seconds under real mistletoe. He then confirmed that 1,435 couples had successfully broken the record.
{{/usCountry}}The Washington Post reported that a Guinness World Records official adjudicator, Michael Empric, oversaw the event and enforced the rules. He made sure that each couple kissed for the required five seconds under real mistletoe. He then confirmed that 1,435 couples had successfully broken the record.
{{/usCountry}}The mistletoe artwork is installed by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) and is decorated with ribbons and a jingle bell. The artwork is designed by a D.C.-based artist, My Ly, according to the Washington Post.
It will stay on display throughout the season, inviting more visitors until January 2026.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and BID officials praised the record as a symbol of community spirit and winter celebration in the nation's capital.
Gerren Price, CEO of the DowntownDC BID, told the crowd, according to The Washington Post, “Y’all, this has made this D.C. boy’s dream come true. We can show the entire world that D.C. is love.”
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The record was not a guarantee
Empiric was very thorough with his work, as reported by the Washington Post.
The record was not a guarantee, even when it became clear that over 480 couples had attended. In the middle of the crowd, stewards kept an eye on whether couples were kissing for the requisite five seconds. Some could be eliminated from the total if they split apart too soon.
Empiric told the crowd, as reported by the Post, “If too many of you are deducted, the entire attempt is unsuccessful.”
But the good news reached the crowd, moments later, and everyone was overjoyed by the success of love.