At a local fair in the city of Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico, a record number of attendees arrived dressed as the character Valak, or "The Nun" from "The Conjuring" horror franchise. The participants who totaled over one thousand were looking to attempt the "Monja" or "Nun Challenge," and shattered the previous record in Mexico.
@el_cardinal_mx 🎡😇 ¡Tulancingo rompe récord mundial de monjas en la feria! 👹 By El Cardinalito Tulancingo, Hidalgo.- La Feria de Tulancingo vivió un momento histórico y lleno de diversión cuando 1,104 personas disfrazadas de monja se reunieron para participar en el popular juego mecánico Tagada, famoso por el personaje de La Monja que se volvió viral en redes sociales. 📲🎥 🏆 Con esta hazaña, Tulancingo superó el récord que ostentaba Chihuahua, donde en 2023 se habían reunido 950 monjas en un evento similar. 💃 Entre risas, saltos y giros extremos del Tagada, el público coreaba y celebraba el nuevo logro que puso a la feria en la mira nacional. 📸 Los asistentes no perdieron la oportunidad de tomarse fotos y compartir el momento en redes, convirtiendo la noche en tendencia y confirmando que #Tulancingo sabe cómo divertirse… ¡y hacer historia! 🚀
♬ La Monja - Nenyx Pereira
On August 14th, amusement park company Espectaculares García invited attendees to attempt the "Monja Challenge," where participants don Valak's black habit and ghostly makeup while riding on a wildly looping amusement attraction called the "Tagada Shaker It." While on the ride, fair-goers are supposed dance to a remix of the song "Las Monjitas" by the band Exterminador. A record-breaking attendance of 1,104 participants became a cause for celebration.
The spectacle of the eerie figures dancing and spinning on the ride was too striking to stay local. Videos of the event lit up platforms like TikTok and Facebook, quickly turning Valak from a horror villain into a Mexican fairground celebrity.
Valak, portrayed by American actress Bonnie Aarons as a terrifying demonic antagonist in "The Conjuring 2" (2016), became recognizable enough to earn a cinematic spin-off in "The Nun" (2018) and a sequel in 2023. Her chilling, pale visage and haunting stare quickly embedded her as a modern horror icon.
"The Conjuring" films have proven to be the most successful horror franchise of all time. Created by "Saw" and "Aquaman" director James Wan, the series has grossed a total of $2.2 billion at the global box office. Another recurring antagonist of the franchise, Annabelle, a haunted doll, has become a horror icon in its own right, getting a trilogy of films telling the doll's story.
The city's official Facebook page even commented on the celebration, proudly congratulating participants for helping break the previous record of 927 people dressed as Valak in Tamaulipas last year.
A world record?
While impressive, Tulancingo's record is not recognized by Guinness World Records. The current official global record for "largest gathering of people dressed as nuns" (unaffiliated with the horror character) stands at 1,436 participants, achieved during the "Nunday" event in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland, on June 30, 2012.
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