AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Washington, D.C., made a kisstory (ph) over the weekend. One thousand, four hundred thirty-five couples turned up to become Guinness World Record holders for the most couples kissing under the mistletoe.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
On Saturday, a bundled-up crowd gathered around the National Mistletoe, which, if you don't know, that is a 10-foot ball of festive greenery suspended above a street just a few blocks from the White House. Just after sunset, the couples prepared to lock lips.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MICHAEL EMPRIC: Are you ready?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes.
EMPRIC: Mistletoe up.
CHANG: That was the signal from Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric for each couple to raise their own little sprig of mistletoe above their heads. Then he guided the pairs through five seconds of simultaneous smooching - the requirement to break the record.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
EMPRIC: Remember, you are kissing on the lips. Three, two, one, go. That is 2 1/2 seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: OK. Keep kissing.
EMPRIC: You are at five seconds. You can keep on going. I'm not going to stop - actually, I will stop you. OK, that is it.
CHANG: That audio is from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District.
KELLY: And it is awesome. Saturday's crowd was almost triple the size of the previous record holders. That would be 480 couples who kissed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2019. So Ailsa, for holiday romance this year, so long "Meet Me In St. Louis." Hello, "Meet Me In D.C."
CHANG: (Laughter). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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