In Orlando there's one sure sign the holiday season is upon us. Yesterday the Jack Kazanzas Star was strung across Orange Ave in downtown. The 600 pound star, named after the lifelong Orlando resident who in 1984 led a campaign to raise funds to replace the original Christmas Star that had fallen into disrepair, has been a symbol of the holidays locally for the past 56 years.
The original star comes from when two downtown rivalry stores department stores, Ivey’s on the east and Dickson & Ives on the west of Orange Avenue, joined together in 1955 to hang the Christmas star between the two stores.
The star represents harmony and unity that comes from the holiday season, even between rivalry. Kazanzas also petitioned on behalf of the star in 1998 when the city tried to replace it with a set of wreaths. Each while the star was being installed he would visit the workers putting it up, passing out bagels and coffee while wearing an elf hat. The star was named after Kazanzas in 2010, then a week later Jack Kazanzas passed away.
Over the years the star has been improved a number of times and now includes tiara and LED lights The star is visible from Orange Avenue. If you do go to visit the star make sure to check in on Foursquare, yes the star has it's own FourSquare page.
