See the Biggest Live Nativity Scene in the World - East Idaho News
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See the Biggest Live Nativity Scene in the World

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GETTY 12214 NativityScene?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1417554141542File photo. (iStock/Thinkstock)(PROVO, Utah) — More than 1,000 people dressed up as angels in an event that broke the world record for the largest live nativity re-enactment.

Rock Canyon Park in Provo, Utah, was turned into a scene from the Bible Monday night as 1,039 volunteers turned out to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

The park became “a concourse of angels; it was just like heavenly hills of angels,” Derral Eves, one of the event’s producers, told ABC News.

Volunteers also dressed up as other key characters in the biblical scene, including Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the three kings and four shepherds.

“We had the idea four weeks ago on Monday and we had the idea and we really felt like this was something we needed to do,” Eves said.

“There’s so many people out there that would really like to share with the world the true meaning of Christmas,” he said. “Its’ not about materialism; it’s really about Jesus Christ. I think this was just a bold statement we wanted to make.”

The non-denominational Christian ceremony was run by The Radiant Foundation, a multifaith organization, and they enlisted the help of YouTube stars like The Piano Guys and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

More than 1,900 people had signed up to participate in the event, although the actual headcount on Monday was just above 1,000, Eves said. That was enough, however, because the previous Guinness World Record included only 898 people.

The volunteers began arriving around 2 p.m. and the re-enactment ended at 4:30 p.m., with the entire event wrapping up after 11:00 p.m. because the crowd stayed to record a new rendition of “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

“What we’ve seen,” Eves said, “is just miracles left and right.”


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