This web site uses cookies to improve your experience. By viewing our content, you are accepting the use of cookies. To find out more and change your cookie settings, please view our cookie policy. Close

St Patrick's Day celebrated in Google doodle

Head to the Google home page today and you'll see six leaping dancers above the search bar. That's because today is St Patrick's Day, and Google is celebrating the only way it knows how, with a doodle.

They're Irish step dancers you see prancing, in the style of blouse-wearing tycoon Michael Flatley.

Google has celebrated St Patrick's Day with doodles before, going all the way back to the year 2000, in fact (though it missed out 2003). But this is the first animated doodle to big up the shamrock-wielding snake banisher. You can see Google's previous efforts here, though I'd advise against watching the video at the bottom of the page. It's another parody of Google Glass, and isn't safe for work.

This week, Google celebrated Douglas Adams' birthday with a doodle. Our sister site CBS News recently met the team who make the doodles -- it's a fascinating look at what goes on to create each one, and how much fun they have doing it.

Google has archived the doodles, so your favourites won't be lost after they've had their 15 minutes in the limelight. And a good thing too, with doozies like this to play with.

There's a doodle store too, where you can buy all kinds of merchandise featuring artwork from the doodles, such as a skateboard bearing the legend of Grimm's Fairy Tales. What's not to like?

Google's next major product is Glass, its tech spectacles that bring the power of the Internet to your face. They should be out by the end of the year, and cost around £1,000. I'm not the only one who's excited, but I suppose doodles will have to do in the meantime.

What do you reckon of the doodle? Is it up there with the top five we picked in our video? Let me know what you think in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Post your comment

Make your comment count. Log in or register to skip the 'Are you human?' question and get an avatar

Your email will not be displayed with your comment

Copy the letters and numbers to prove that you're human. You won't have to do this if you log in or register

Your comment must comply with the Terms of Use

About CBS Interactive

Copyright © 2013 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved.