Thanksgiving Google Doodle: The significance of the squirrels and birds revealed
Be it celebrating holidays, anniversaries or revering famous artists, pioneers and scientists, Google Doodles have the ability to capture our attention instantly. This time too, the multinational tech company has come up with a touching doodle on Thanksgiving ahead of November 26 celebrations. This year's doodle portrays a child-like picture with a light pastel overlay. It shows two squirrels on the left and two birds on the right exchanging gifts on the occasion of Thanksgiving. The miniature animals are all set to have mini dinner on the branch of the tree exemplifying the feast we all have during the celebration with family.
Elaborating on the theme of the Thanksgiving doodle, Google wrote, “On the last Thursday of November each year, many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving by expressing gratitude and sharing a moment and meal together. Though this year will look a bit different for folks around the country, today’s Doodle—and the furry and feathered friends in it—recognize the spirit of this special holiday: a time for everyone to reflect on their blessings, appreciate loved ones both near and far, and embrace new traditions.”
While the company has not clearly mentioned why it used the furry friends, one can guess that their depiction brings a sort of universality to the theme of commemorating gratitude. Since humans can’t travel amid the pandemic, these quirky animals personify their spirit to fly across miles and be with loved ones.
For last year's thanksgiving, Google celebrated the beloved holiday with doodles reminiscent of many of our childhood. The Google logo had been replaced by "hand turkeys," a childhood pastime. In addition to the hand turkeys diving in what was seen on the front page, there were other doodles that were sketched. One showed a hand turkey holding a football while another held a ear of corn. Another one showed the hand turkey in a thumbs-up position while the last one showed the hand turkeys high-fiving each other
Google, who has created over 4,000 doodles till now, conceived the idea of creating doodles back in 1998. The company has an innovative team of illustrators and engineers behind every artwork they put. Mentioning how they select occasions to make doodles, Google's official page says, “A group of Googlers get together regularly to brainstorm and decide which events will be celebrated with a doodle. The ideas for the doodles come from numerous sources, including Googlers and Google users. The doodle selection process aims to celebrate interesting events and anniversaries that reflect Google's personality and love of innovation.”
While Google keeps alive its legacy of blending art with information, one can only laud the team’s efforts for their brilliant and awareness-imparting doodles. Indeed it's an awe-inspiring way of storytelling.