Crowds

Are you a person that likes big crowds? Some people do, and some people don’t.

Depending on your personality, a large crowd of people can be either

EXHILARATING (exciting or thrilling) or overwhelming. From festivals to funerals to concerts, a wide variety of events can produce unexpectedly large crowds. And the locations of the events are as DIVERSE (assorted or varied) as the types of events. The top 10 list of the largest crowds ever recorded in human history includes events from INDIA, FRANCE, BRAZIL, and the U.S. Let’s explore a few!

Spell: EVENT HISTORY LOCATION

Today, we are talking about big ________ CROWDS.

“Assorted” and “varied” are synonyms for what word? DIVERSE

What is a synonym for exhilarating? EXCITING, THRILLING

Name an event listed in the lesson that may produce a large crowd. FESTIVAL, FUNERAL, CONCERT

Name a country listed in the lesson that has been the site of one of the largest events in history. INDIA, FRANCE, BRAZIL, U.S.

What is another event that may produce a large crowd? WEDDINGS, SPORTS EVENTS, INAUGURATIONS, PROTESTS

The 2019 KUMBH MELA festival, held in India in the city of PRAYAGRAJ, is considered the largest gathering of humanity, with an excess of 150 million attendees. The Kumbh Mela is a two-month-long massive HINDU (a follower of the dominant Indian religion, Hinduism) PILGRIMAGE (a long journey made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion). The Hindu pilgrims gather from across India and the globe to perform ritual bathing in the sacred Indian rivers to cleanse themselves of past sins (mistakes or wrongdoing). In addition to ritual bathing, the festival includes education, religious discourse by saints, mass feedings of monks by the poor, and entertainment.

Spell: HUMANITY PILGRIM SACRED
In what country is the Kumbh Mela festival held? INDIA

A long journey made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion is called a ________ PILGRIMAGE

The Hindu pilgrims gather to perform ritual _________ in the sacred Indian rivers. BATHING

What is another word for sins? MISTAKES, WRONGDOING

Name one other event mentioned in the lesson that occurs at the festival besides ritual bathing. EDUCATION, RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE, MASS FEEDINGS,
ENTERTAINMENT

How many million people attended the 2019 Kumbh Mela? 150

Name another major world religion. CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM, BUDDHISM

WORLD YOUTH DAY (WYD) is a youth festival organized by the CATHOLIC Church. It is designed to be a worldwide encounter with the Pope (head of the Catholic Church) that is celebrated approximately every three years in a different country.
World Youth Day 1995 makes the top 10 largest crowd list with an attendance of
Five million people at the closing mass (the central act of worship of the Catholic Church). The 1995 WYD was held in MANILA, PHILIPPINES, and it was the first time an ASIAN country hosted the event. Young pilgrims (devotees, believers) gathered from all over the world to celebrate God together, learn about other cultures, and speak as “brothers and sisters” among themselves.

Spell: YOUTH WORLDWIDE CATHOLIC
What is the title of the head of the Catholic Church? POPE

The _____ is the central act of worship of the Catholic Church. MASS

1995 was the first time a WYD was held on what continent? ASIA

What is another word for a pilgrim? DEVOTEE, BELIEVER

Name one of the purposes listed in the lesson for why the young pilgrims gathered together. CELEBRATE GOD, LEARN
IN OTHER CULTURES, THEY SPEAK AS “BROTHERS AND SISTERS. ”

Name one of the other six continents. NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA,
EUROPE, AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, ANTARCTICA

If WYD is celebrated every three years, what year was the next one after Manila? 1995 + 3 = 1998. 1998

When does a rock concert make the GUINNESS Book of World Records? When its attendance level puts it on the top 10 list of largest crowds ever! A free concert staged by rock superstar ROD STEWART at COPACABANA Beach, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, on New Year’s Eve 1994, was reported to attract an audience of 4.2 million people. Rod Stewart, a British singer-songwriter who has a distinctive raspy voice, is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide. Still, there are skeptics (doubters or questioners) who say Rod Stewart is not the reason for the standout crowd. They believe the traditional fireworks display that happens every New Year’s Eve and draws millions of people every year was the true draw to the beach that night. I guess we will never know!

Spell: ATTENDANCE SUPERSTAR AUDIENCE
In what country was the free concert held? BRAZIL

Who is the superstar we are talking about? ROD STEWART

What type of display may have been the real reason for the crowd size? FIREWORKS

What is another word for a skeptic? DOUBTER, QUESTIONER

Name one phrase or term from the lesson that was used to describe Rod Stewart. ROCK SUPERSTAR, BRITISH SINGER-SONGWRITER, DISTINCTIVE RASPY VOICE, BEST SELLING MUSICIAN

If the concert was held on New Year’s Eve 1994, what would be the date of the concert in standard date format? 12/31/94

Who would you most like to see perform on a beach in Brazil on Year’s Eve?

VAKT: In the picture of the crowd at Copacabana Beach, use your finger to trace all the way along the coastline.

We won’t be surprised to find an international multi-sport event on the top 10 list. The 1996 Summer OLYMPICS held in ATLANTA, GEORGIA, recorded 8.3 million tickets sold! The Atlanta Olympics marked the centennial (hundredth anniversary) of the 1896 Summer Olympics in ATHENS, the inaugural (first initial) edition of the modern Olympic Games. Atlanta staged one of the most extravagant Games in Olympic history. With a five-hour opening ceremony and the creation of a “country fair” atmosphere complete with booths, amusement park rides, and concerts, the 1996 Olympics cost nearly $1.7 billion. A record 197 national Olympic committees (NOCs) sent more than 10,000 contestants. The number of
events reached 271 in 26 sports

Spell: INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CEREMONY
What international multi-sport event are we talking about? OLYMPICS

What is another name for a hundredth anniversary? CENTENNIAL

In what city was the 1996 Summer Olympics held? ATLANTA

What is a synonym for inaugural? FIRST, INITIAL

Name one of the elements mentioned in the lesson that created the “country fair” atmosphere at the 1996 Olympics. BOOTHS, AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES,
CONCERTS

Name a sport that would have appeared at the 1996 Summer Olympics. BASEBALL, GYMNASTICS, BOXING, FENCING, CYCLING

If you had attended the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where would we have found you hanging out?

Would you be surprised to learn that the funeral of a much-loved political figure makes the list of the top 10 largest crowds? C.N. ANNADURAI, popularly called ANNA, which means “elder brother,” was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of TAMIL NADU. He is remembered for his reforms (improvements or betterments), his righteousness, and his determination to serve the
TAMILIANS. After his death on FEBRUARY 3rd, 1969, millions made a beeline to MADRAS (the capital city of the Indian state Tamil Nadu). Mourners perched on trees, lamp posts, and the top of buildings along the flower-strewn procession. Though it was a tearful occasion, Madras claimed its first Guinness record for the ‘most attended funeral.’ Fifteen million people congregating for a funeral was a testimony to the charisma (charm or presence) of the person they would miss.

Spell: POLITICAL REFORMS RIGHTEOUSNESS

We are talking about the _________ of a much-loved politician. FUNERAL

C.N. ANNADURAI was called ___________, which means “elder brother.” ANNA

What was the name of the capital city of Tamil Nadu (where the funeral was held)? MADRAS

What is a synonym for reforms? IMPROVEMENTS, BETTERMENTS

Name a place the mourners perched to better see the flower-strewn procession. TREES, LAMP POSTS, TOP OF BUILDINGS

What is a synonym for charisma? CHARM, PRESENCE

VAKT: Look at the Indian stamp of C.N. Annadurai and point to the year that he was born.

On a more cheerful note, how many people do you suppose are willing to stand along the side of the road to watch bicyclists whiz by? Well, in the 2012 TOUR DE FRANCE, that number was 12 million, putting this sporting event on the list of top.
Ten largest crowds. The Tour de France is the world’s most PRESTIGIOUS
(respected, esteemed) and difficult bicycle race. Staged for three weeks each July, the Tour typically includes 20 teams of 9 riders each and covers some 3,600 km (2,235 miles), mainly in FRANCE, with occasional and brief visits to such countries as BELGIUM, ITALY, and GERMANY. Part of the difficulty cyclists face in the Tour is that it is divided among time-trial racing and racing stages covering both flat land and great stretches of mountainous inclines. It is a rare cyclist who can perform well at both time trials and climbing, and those who can usually wear the yellow jersey (MAILLOT JAUNE in French) of victory at the end of the race in PARIS,
France.

Spell: FRANCE VICTORY PRESTIGIOUS
What kind of race are we talking about in the lesson? BICYCLE

The racing stage of the Tour de France covers both flat land and also great stretches of ______________inclines. MOUNTAINOUS

What color jersey does Victor wear? YELLOW

In which French city does the race end? PARIS

Name a synonym for prestigious. RESPECTED, ESTEEMED

Name one of the other countries that the Tour may pass through. BELGIUM, ITALY, GERMANY

If 20 teams of 9 riders race in the Tour, how many racers are there in all? 20 x 9 =180. 180

VAKT: Let’s pretend we are spectators along a mountain road in France, and here come the cyclists! Let’s use our bodies to cheer them on!

Although they may not make the top 10 list, there are many other types of gatherings that draw large crowds. Some favorite holidays to gather in the U.S. are Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Independence Day, and New Year’s Eve. We also like to gather for birthdays. Interesting fact, when the SULTAN (the king of a Muslim country) of BRUNEI (a small country in Asia) celebrated his 50th birthday in 1996, he began the blow-out celebration with a military march, followed by a polo match with GREAT BRITAIN’s PRINCE CHARLES. He then gathered together several thousand of his best friends for a dinner that included the finest champagne and caviar available, and he flew in MICHAEL JACKSON to sing a tune or two for his guests. Several thousand best friends?? Wow … that’s a party!

Spell: HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS EASTER
The king of a Muslim country is called a ____________ SULTAN
Name one holiday from the lesson that is celebrated in the U.S. CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING, EASTER, INDEPENDENCE DAY, NEW YEAR’S EVE

What was one of the ways the Sultan and his guests celebrated his birthday? MILITARY MARCH, POLO MATCH, DINNER, MICHAEL JACKSON CONCERT

If you could celebrate your birthday anywhere in the world, where would you celebrate?

Creative Writing:

1. What was the setting of the largest crowd you have ever been in? Describe your experience.
2, If you are a crowd seeker, what draws you to them? If you are a crowd-avoider, what repels you?
3. What helps you to successfully navigate crowds?

Source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2362JH5Mvak

https://largest.org/people/gatherings-of-people/

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kumbh-mela-india-intl/index.html

https://worldyouthday.com/AboutWYD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Youth_Day

https://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/107968/20160310/50-facts-singer-rodstewart.htm

https://www.britannica.com/event/Atlanta-1996-Olympic-Games

https://www.hutchisonfuneralhome.com/a-look-at-history-s-most-expensiveand-well-attended-funerals-across-the-world

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Tour_de_France

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2015/7/awaiting-the-tour-de-france-take-a-ride-through-our-top-10-cycling-records-386979

https://www.britannica.com/sports/Tour-de-France