Adios to the "Big Orange," hello to "La Gran Naranja"

11/26/2012

It's been known as the "Big Orange," the glowing neon orb with sunglasses that ascends the Intercontinental Hotel every New Year.  But now our New Year harbinger appears to have adapted properly to South Florida's linguistic fluidity as it has done a name change, a la P. Diddy, and shall henceforth be referred to as "La Gran Naranja."

Yes, that means the Big Orange in Spanish.  

The change is to help kick off a three-year Spanish heritage campaign called Viva Florida 500 which begins Jan. 1, 2013 and to commemorate explorer Ponce de Leon bringing the orange to Florida in 1513.

Here's hoping local news channels begin tutorials on pronunciation pronto.