Google wishes us Happy Holidays with toy-filled doodle

Google has given us all a festive doodle as an early Christmas present. Head to the Google homepage and you'll see a load of old-fashioned toys being led in a parade by a toy soldier.

In the background, the word Google is spelled out on boxes and mugs.

It's a nice touch, but not a patch on last year's 'let it snow' feature the search giant added. When you typed said slogan into the search bar, the white stuff would start falling from the top of the screen. Then you could use the cursor to rub away the mist, just like you would on a car window.

Sadly the feature was deactivated shortly after being launched. I think Google should bring it back for every Christmas, and judging from how popular it proved, I'm not the only one.

Google recently ran its own festive Android advert too, inadvertently letting slip an upcoming official dock for the Nexus 10 tablet. The ad sees Google's Android HQ as the scene of a party, but the little Android himself is feeling left out. Well not for long, as one employee beams what's on his phone to the TV nearby, so his little buddy can join in the fun.

But Google isn't the only one getting all festive on us. Apple ran its own Christmas advert recently as well. The Cupertino company's doesn't feature any slogans or product description -- in fact, it's pretty much the opposite of hard sell. In the ad, a little girl plays the ukelele, singing "I'll be home for Christmas" to her grandfather over FaceTime on their respective iPad and iPad mini. Here it is.

Not bad, eh? Well it's got to be better than Coca-Cola hijacking Santa every year. Which tech company do you think has the best Christmas adverts? Past and present, let's open it up. Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.