Google Doodle celebrates holiday scenes from around the world

It took five designers six months to complete, but the latest “Google Doodle” has now been launched, paying tribute to the festive season.

A team of designers spent 250 hours working on the holiday logo

While it includes Father Christmas, the Yule log and a snowy scene of St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Google has notably steered clear of any overt Christian symbols.

For most of the 17 images portray great international sites such as the Acropolis in Athens, the Great Wall of China and Sydney Harbour Bridge or specific cultural references.

Among the designs are the oud, a Middle Eastern guitar, pierogi – a Polish semicircular dumpling – and distinctive Moroccan henna lamps.

When a Google visitor uses their mouse to roll over an image, it expands, and if clicked on, takes the user through to a list of websites explaining the image.

Between them, the five designers decided the holiday theme should focus on food, dance, architecture and textiles.

[via The Telegraph]