Amazing Christmas Light Display Sets World Record

YouTube

David Richards and his wife Janean made certain Santa wouldn't have any trouble locating this amazing beacon of Christmas light.

The Richards' display uses 502,165 LED lights that, laid end to end, would stretch for more than 31 miles (50 kilometers). The family previously set the same record in 2011 with 331,038 lights. In fact, David had sworn he'd never undertake such a huge project, that is, until the Gay family from Lagrangeville, N.Y., broke the record with 346,283 lights.

The Richards' new installation also includes 520 light channels controlling a 164-foot-long (50 meters) walk-through, a multi-colored canopy fanning out beneath a large tree with a glowing trunk, according to Guinness World Records. In addition to winning back the record, the Richards' festive feat will support SIDS and Kids Act, an organization dedicated to eliminating sudden and unexpected death in children from conception to age 6.

"Suddenly I had twice the drive," David said in a statement by Guinness. "I'd be raising more money for SIDS and Kids and winning back our record at the same time."

Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+.

TOPICS

Nina Sen is a frequent contributor to Live Science’s Life’s Little Mysteries series: an exploration and explanation of our world’s phenomena, both natural and man-made. She also writes astronomy photo stories for Live Science's sister site Space.com.