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Update: The logo has now been animated and made interactive. It is simply amazing!
Here is a video:
Here is the rest of the story from today...
Google is sending mixed messages with their happy holidays logo. There are a few issues with the happy holidays logo on Google.
Here is the logo:
(1) It is 8:45am EDT and there is no special logo for the holidays on Google.com yet. At least, not for me. But it is on most the other Google properties as of the morning of December 23rd. I am thinking they have rolled it back on some properties but I am not sure.
(2) Depending on which Google property you go to, Google will give you a different message on the logo. One may say "Happy Holidays from Google!" The other will say, "Have a Merry Christmas with Google!"
Google Australia says Happy Holidays from Google!
Google Korea says "Have a Merry Christmas with Google!"
I am not sure why Google is giving mixed messages with the logo and why the logo is not yet live on Google.com but it is what it is.
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.
Comments:
Gianluca Fiorelli
12/23/2011 03:05 pm
Just for the record, at least at this moment no European Google have a Christmas logo on.
Bob Gladstein
12/23/2011 03:08 pm
It doesn't seem to be an East/West thing as the original poster on the forum suggests. If Google Translate is to be believed, the link on google.co.jp translates to "Holiday Season".
Reaperducer
12/23/2011 03:46 pm
.hk is Hong Kong, not Korea. Korea is .kr. Hong Kong, like much of the rest of Asia including communist China, embraces and respects Christmas as a holiday even if it's not their own. Having "Happy Holidays" would seem strange to them.
Paul
12/23/2011 04:15 pm
Good get Barry. When is G going to realize that there is an Eastern part of the United States which equates for 41% of the countries wealth? You can at least give us a logo when we wake up.
Patrick
12/23/2011 04:29 pm
So saying Christmas is fine in countries that only celebrate it in a quaint fashion, but in Western countries in which it is the central festival of the year, ignoring it's name is expected?? WTF kind of logic is this?
Patrick
12/23/2011 04:30 pm
Hong Kong's doodle link leads to a results page for "Christmas".
Jacob
12/23/2011 04:31 pm
Kinda funny how the top results for their generic "Happy Holidays" nonsense is a Wikipedia article for "Christmas and holiday greetings", with the phrase "American use of Happy Holidays to replace Merry Christmas dates back to the 1970s", and a bunch of news articles saying how much people prefer Merry Christmas to generic nonsense like "Happy Holidays".
Hugh
12/23/2011 04:44 pm
Well, ain't that some fake-ass multiculturalism. Make a doodle with Christmas imagery, no Hanukkah imagery even though it coincides with Christmas in 2011, but say "Happy Holidays" to cover your ass, even though that will only enrage people who actually celebrate Christmas since you exploited but refused to acknowledge their holiday by name, and it will enrage Jews because you are pretending to be inclusive toward them but aren't. Ridiculousness. To add insult to injury, it actually does say "Merry Christmas" in non-Western countries that only passively celebrate Christmas.
SarahHenderson
12/23/2011 04:47 pm
Google did say "Happy Hanukkah" on their Facebook page a few days ago, so I don't know why this Christmas logo says Happy Holidays. Maybe there really is a War on Christmas? You can't explain that!
Reaperducer
12/23/2011 04:52 pm
It's not logical, and it's not right, but it's the world we live in. In China, where Christianity is still illegal, and in other Asian nations Christmas is celebrated openly. In shopping malls from Tokyo to Hong Kong you'll see Christmas trees and giant "Merry Christmas" banners.In the United States, where people are supposedly free to express themselves, and we're supposed to "celebrate diversity" we do neither and treat the word "Christmas" like it's a bad thing. It's all very sad.
VirgilCole
12/23/2011 05:05 pm
A lump of coal for Google. They can spend the holidays with the Burgermeister Meisterburger this year.MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!
Apple
12/23/2011 05:29 pm
Barry (or the editor), please fix the link to Google Korea, the link actually goes to Google Hong Kong.
Orlinjay
12/23/2011 05:31 pm
All I can say is "Merry Christmas" , "Happy Chanukah", "Joyous Kwanza" and/or what ever else carries the intention of good cheer and an attitude of love and gratefulness.
Dean Peckenpaugh
12/23/2011 06:28 pm
Are you guys aching that badly for content? It's just an ALT tag - for all you know, it's an oversight, and not some covert scheme. Really - who cares?
Apple
12/23/2011 06:56 pm
We're tired of this over-the-top PC nonsense, it has to stop. We've heard excuses like yours for decades now, but the time has come to stop shunning our own culture for fear of excluding others, when they don't feel excluded anyway.
Hugh
12/23/2011 07:43 pm
Would you consider it an simply "oversight" if a worldwide company based in the United Arab Emirates was putting a logo to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, and yet put a greeting of "happy holidays" in Muslim-majority countries, but "Happy Ramadan" in all other countries?? Of course not, but when it comes to Christmas and America/the West, it's taken as normal.
nef
12/23/2011 07:45 pm
Hong Kong and Australia are a day ahead. That is why the US has not gotten the logo yet. We will get it tomorrow- the same date as they got the logo.
Barry Schwartz
12/23/2011 07:46 pm
FYI, Australia had the logo up on the 23rd their local time, in the morning.
Hugh
12/23/2011 08:04 pm
Update: Google's UK version now has the logo, it is captioned "Merry Christmas from Google". The France version says "Joyeyses Fetes" (French for Happy Holidays), the Irish version says Happy Holidays. Hmm, not sure where they're going with this.
Meyah95
12/23/2011 08:15 pm
Then maybe other countries should stop using Google -__- but no really, it shouldn't matter .
Jefuf
12/23/2011 08:27 pm
Insulted by G pandering to dumbass fox news droids.
Andreelynn
12/23/2011 08:31 pm
People will whine if they say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". They're pleasing both sides.
Very irritated person!
12/23/2011 08:38 pm
Surely this really isn't news worthy? This is a pathetic story! It's like me announcing a huge news story that in my local tesco I was greeted with hello, yet in a different branch they greeted me with hi! What does it matter! This is so dumb, f*** you whoever reported this! Go and report on something actually worth reading! You moron!
Ann Llwyd
12/23/2011 09:02 pm
Thank you Google for all your fantastic logos - so clever, amusing and warm - celebrating the best in humanity. They lift the spirit Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda to all involved. zzz
Barry Schwartz
12/23/2011 09:06 pm
Updated the story, Google totally made this logo interactive and fun. See the video above.
Pismire
12/23/2011 10:28 pm
Merry Christmas and Google should be ashamed. Google picks and chooses which things to elaborate on and which to put under generalities. They are shameful and I for one am tired of it.
Bill Clinton
12/23/2011 10:44 pm
I'm tired of this shit. Everyone get over yourself. I cant even believe this is news worthy. So frustrating.
Storm Bryanc
12/23/2011 10:48 pm
Who cares.
poochierello2
12/23/2011 11:07 pm
In Ireland we use Happy christmas i use Googe every day I expected Happy Christmas im not too happy
Everfluxx
12/23/2011 11:45 pm
The "happy holidays" SERP that opened at the end of the animated Xmas doodle on Google.it today was totally messed up! So useless that Google had to take it down and replace it with a static image logo. Check it out: http://www.everfluxx.com/google-xmas-doodle-serp-glitch/
Everfluxx
12/24/2011 12:05 am
Danny Sullivan informed me that the interactive animation "seems to be down everywhere" right now: https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/150362892724744192 Barry, can you confirm? Any ideas on what happened?
Everfluxx
12/24/2011 12:07 am
P.S.: the Google Web Search Help thread you linked to from your post seems to have been removed, too: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web%20Search/thread?tid=603493ea3182bb58&hl=en
Hlopik
12/24/2011 02:06 am
I don't know where is the confusion. In many countries Christmas is not on the 25th of December, but on 7th January. Many countries like Israel do not celebrate Christmas at all, but celebrate New Year and so on...that's why Google is tailoring the message to the people cultures in different countries
Gg_too
12/24/2011 02:38 am
earlier today I googled [things to do on christmas eve in buffalo] and it came back with a search for [things to do on holiday eve in buffalo] I was to say the least not to happy .
Tristan Paige
12/24/2011 04:01 am
Your all idiots. No wonder foreigners are taking over Canada and the US. Its own sheople are too busy bickering over how a stupid search engine is displaying a holiday greeting. 34 million people in Canada, 18 million are employed and pay 17,600 in taxes annually amounting to over 600 billion in tax revenue where Canada claims only 275 billion is used to keep the country going and your worried about Google?
Tim Solomon
12/24/2011 10:17 am
The logo should definitely say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” We should not let the non-believers influence our holidays.
Internet Marketing Company
12/24/2011 10:43 am
This logo of happy holidays i like the most among all the logos till date. And such a attractive and wonderful logo and the nice thing is the tune that plays after the click.
Everfluxx
12/24/2011 10:56 am
The interactive animation is back, at least here in Italy.
Brue Gothly
12/24/2011 12:19 pm
YOU are indeed an idiot if you believe the argument is really about Google's search engine. While you sharpen your spelling skills (and I strongly encourage you to do so), you should also look up two words: Holiday and Christmas (Christ Mass). Please do yourself a favor and refer to the Oxford Dictionary.
SEO Services India
12/24/2011 12:21 pm
Then Logo is back on Google.com :) It is the best in the Google Doodle series.
Todd Bailey
12/24/2011 02:42 pm
Its a great Logo/Doodle - very fun and glad to see it live - Happy Holidays
Matthewjsteeples
12/24/2011 02:43 pm
What a cool little trick: http://dasteepsspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/12/let-it-snow.html
Andrew Rivera
12/24/2011 06:05 pm
It's Obama's fault.
JBSPuddintane
12/24/2011 11:24 pm
Get a frickin backbone google wimps. Christmas is about Jesus. The gracious gift to the undeserving. Including you.
tennis livescore
12/25/2011 10:45 am
I like this habit of Google.Keep it up.
Babiie_ijiie
12/25/2011 10:46 am
I agree with JBSPudditane, Christmas is about Jesus, build a bridge and get over it. Well I live in the UK and our logo says Merry Christmas and I hope that is because has finally acknowledged the meaning not because Britain is a predominantly Christian country. #Merry Christian and god bless x
Bruce Hibbert
12/25/2011 12:08 pm
We can choose to celebrate the incarnation of the world's Savior and the Way to eternal life or we can choose to turn away from and ignore that celebration and have a Happy Winter Festival or whatever for the next 1-85 years. I've made my choice and I pray for everyone to have a peaceful and blessed Christmas! God bless us all!
Brian Greenberg
12/25/2011 09:12 pm
Merry Christmas!
Kumala Prabatika
12/26/2011 10:18 am
i like this...merry Christmas from Indonesia
av3nger
12/24/2012 05:15 am
Yet the Pilgrims celebrated Christmas. The United States was founded by those whose culture were as such.
Mike7
12/25/2012 03:22 pm
Google's decision to leave CHRISTMAS out of their logo is just one more step in the direction of making the United States a Godless nation. This is right in line with the Obama philosophy. I'd bet that within 10 years there will be some type of Islamic Google message. Christians are always hated. Jesus said "...they hated me and they will hate you..." Truth hurts.
Irena Mickunas
12/25/2012 06:21 pm
Merry Christmas ! Love, compassion, sharing and giving to those who have much less than we do should be on our minds. Please, let us stop blaming president Obama for everything, he has so many problems to solve.Let us love each other and be grateful for living on the most beautiful Planet in the Universe !
Carl
12/25/2012 07:01 pm
Merry Christmas and good will to all men.
jtaylo
12/25/2012 09:33 pm
If the congress of the united states can recognize Christmas (Title 5 /Chapter 6103) as a legal holiday for federal workers and every other government and business's does the same with day off and shutdowns why can't Google simple say Merry Christmas instead of 'happy holidays'.What holiday are we suppose to be happy about? There a re two. Nice logo.
jtaylo
12/25/2012 09:36 pm
Oh yeah I forgot with all the composing and look up stuff. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Google.