Australian Christmas tree sets world record with 518,838 lights

Americans may still be figuring out what to do with Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, but Australians are on to Christmas.

The largest display of Christmas lights on an artificial tree was illuminated on Friday in downtown Canberra, Australia. Guinness World Records confirmed that Australian David Richards broke the record for the most lights on an artificial tree with his latest holiday lights project.

The tree has 518,838 individual lights and is topped with an almost 5-foot-tall star, according to Guinness World Records.

The previous record holder belonged to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.

According to Guinness World Records, this isn't Richards' first-holiday lights rodeo. Richards, who is locally known as the 'Christmas Lights Man,' has also earned Guinness World Records titles for the "largest image made of LED lights" and "most Christmas lights on a residential property."

Richards and a team of volunteers came together to build the display, according to Guinness. He organized the light display to raise money for the Australian charity, SIDS and Kids, an organization dedicated to eliminating Sudden Death in Children.

The organization is especially close to Richards' heart because he and his wife lost their one-month-old son in 2002, according to Guinness.

SIDS and Kids tweeted a video of the event and said "Christmas has come early."

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