Type “Let It Snow” into Google
It has been an unusually warm fall and winter here in upstate New York, with only a few dustings of snow so far, and many sunny days. But I’m feeling a little more weather-engaged with the holiday season thanks to Google’s latest Easter egg… or perhaps “stocking stuffer” would be a better analogy.
Just type “let it snow” into a Google search field in most browsers (not all versions of Internet Explorer may work), and along with the results for Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra performing in YouTube videos, snowflakes will start to fall gently from the top of the window. Leave it for a few more seconds and the window will start to fog up. You can clear it by clicking and “scrubbing” with the cursor, or just click the Defrost button for an instant fix. Now if only this worked with weather.com!
If you’d like to decorate your search window for the holidays, just type either “Christmas” or “Hanukkah” into a Google search field; the results page displays a row of Christmas tree lights or Star of David symbols at the top. Alas, I couldn’t figure any way to get Google to snow on either Christmas or Hanukkah. (After I wrote this, Google also added multicolored candles to the search results page if you enter “Kwanzaa”.)
Google has a history of little tricks like this, like knocking your window off-kilter when you search on “askew” or “tilt”. Mashable has a presentation of a number of other Google tricks.
does not work !! :( Some say explorer is the problem So sad
Yes, I think you need to be using Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Actually, I got it on explorer. I'm using Windows 7... in case that's the problem.
I can't use Explorer anymore on my computer so I use Chrome..so much better!
I can not get it to work
Darn I'm using internet explorer so it doesn't work :(
Cool! Thx!
Doesn't work (Windows 7)
Well I am using Windows 7 at home-it works for me.Make sure you are running it in Chrome/Firefox.
BETTER THAN xmas & Hanukkah you forgot Kwanzaa the best one lmao.
Excellent - that's new - I tried it before writing the article and got nothing.
https://www.google.com/search?q=kwanzaa
I typed let it snow and all I get is type in let it snow; what the heck
finally got it to work on google chrome, but if they do something like this, they need to make it work on all systems!!!
"Let it Snow" even worked on my iPad2, but the "Christmas" feature didn't. Still pretty cool though
Love the Google fun-and-games. My best Google story, not sure it made the rounds, certainly not advertised:
I live in San Francisco, was planning a trip to Switzerland (I spent several years commuting from Berkeley to CERN), and wanted to take some friends to a restaurant I had found in Geneva. I remembered more or less where it was, but not it's name. So, I Googled (very useful verb) around the neighborhood til I found it. Then, message flashed up, "do you want directions?" "Sure, why not!" My screen cogitated for a while, then a line appeared on the map, wending it's way across the US, to Boston, then a straight line with instructions, "swim 3000 miles..." to a pier in Le Havre, picking up roads again to the correct street corner in Geneva.
I kept mentioning it to several friends, but after a few days the more prosaic, "can't get there from here" message replaced the fun.
Too bad!
That works also here, in France...
I am in the need of a good wiper ;-)
Worked perfectly in Omniweb. Thank you!