Before Christmas, news spread across websites and social media that Lebanon had entered the Guinness World Records by breaking two holiday-related records. The first was for the longest recital, held at a school in Kfardebian, involving around 135 choirs and vocalists and 200 musicians, and lasting approximately 170 hours.

The second record was for the largest number of letters sent to Santa Claus within 24 hours, achieved by the city of Batroun. The town collected 2,924 letters in just 12 hours, surpassing the previous record of 2,144 letters set by Dubai in mid-December.

Lebanon has a history of breaking Guinness World Records, and these latest achievements continue a long tradition.

More than 30 records in various fields

Historically, Lebanon has set more than 30 records in various fields, especially in food and the arts. It began in 2010, when the largest bowl of hummus in the world was prepared by Chef Ramzi Choueiri and students from the Lebanese Academy of Hospitality. In 2011, 5,050 dancers participated in a Dabke dance in Metn, marking the largest group Dabke in the world. In 2012, Batroun created the world’s largest lemonade cup.

In 2015, Lebanon set records for the largest kibbeh at 233 kg and the longest manousheh at 32 meters in Choueifat. In 2016, Batroun presented the largest seafood display, weighing around 2,614 kg. In 2017, extreme sports professional Naji Abou Al-Hosn entered Guinness by making five cars spin simultaneously around themselves while standing outside them.

In 2018, the American University of Beirut created the largest notebook mosaic in the world using 60,000 notebooks to form the Lebanese flag. That same year, the longest Christmas log-shaped cake, or “bûche,” measured 1,136 meters in Meifouq (Jbeil District). In 2019, despite national crises, Lebanon set the record for the tallest structure made from plastic bottles, reaching 28.1 meters.

In 2021, citizen Caroline Chaptini entered Guinness for the sixth time by creating the largest cedar tree in the world made of plastic bottles, standing 21 meters tall in Amioun (Koura District).

In 2022, the town of Mairouba (Keserwan District) set the record for the largest jar of jam in the world, weighing 1,550 kg. The following year, the southern town of Arab Salim created the longest labneh sandwich, measuring 46 meters.

Lebanon’s repeated entries into the Guinness World Records carry symbolic significance beyond material measurement. They showcase the Lebanese community’s remarkable ability to organize, collaborate, and innovate, even amid severe political and economic challenges.