Kiss, Cook, and Dance for World Record's Day

Nov. 9, 2006— -- LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Parisians bid for the world's biggest kiss-a-thon, Italians cooked the longest line of pizzas and Canadians are re-enacting Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video en masse.

It was "Guinness World Records" day on Thursday, a chance for the weird and wacky to win a place in the compendium of craziness.

South Africa hopes to spark a fitness frenzy with the largest ever aqua aerobics class, organisers said.

Japanese tea lovers are staging the world's largest tea party and Kuwait is offering the world's largest cheque.

"Hundreds of records could be beaten today," said "Guinness World Records" editor Craig Glenday.

"I love the idea of everyone sharing the kind of eccentric Britishness that underpins Guinness World Records," he told Reuters.

Asked to pick his personal favourite, Glenday said "I go for The Thriller one in Toronto. It's been done by professional dancers and we have 150 people dressed as zombies. Someone has transcribed the moves from the video.

"I love the idea of a stranger walking into town and seeing all these shuffling zombies."

American Jackie Bibby is trying to hold nine live rattlesnakes in his mouth at the same time.

"That is probably the most dangerous stunt of the day. He almost lost his thumb doing it last time," Glenday said.

New Zealander Alastair Galpin sought eternal eccentric fame for wearing the most socks on one foot. Not satisfied with that feat, he is bidding to eat the most garlic consumed in one minute, Glenday said.

With details of records coming in to him all day in Britain, Glenday was able to confirm that Italians in the town of Treviso had broken a world record with a 186.3 metre (203.7 yards) line of pizzas.

French honour as self-proclaimed lovers of the world was at stake with 6,000 red-blooded Parisians locking lips for the largest simultaneous kiss. Budapest holds the current record.

Guinness was the brainchild of Hugh Beaver, former managing director of the Guinness brewery.

In 1951, he was out shooting in Ireland and got into an argument about whether the golden plover ranked as Europe's fastest game bird. Three years later, another argument arose as to whether grouse were faster than the plover.

Beaver, believing that records sparked pubs and bar disputes around the world, decided the time was right to produce the ultimate achievers' guide. It is now published in 100 countries and in 20 languages.