Why Was Google Grey on Memorial Day? The Answer May Surprise You

Google has long been surprising users with elaborate and themed "Google doodles" to honor holidays and mark historical milestones. While every year is slightly different, Google has traditionally honored Memorial Day with an understated grey logo that, when clicked, brings you to search results for the holiday. This year, however, Google added an additional component to commemorate Memorial Day.

What makes this year's grey logo different?

When opening Google on Memorial Day 2022, the search engine presented a grey logo, which has been custom for the past few years on the holiday. However, Google took it a step further this year to pay tribute to veterans. When clicking on the Google logo, it redirected to search results for Memorial Day, but this year it accompanied an animation of long-stemmed poppies that simulate slow movement through a breeze, followed by the message "For all who sacrificed, Thank you."

The animation itself is slow moving, with a decent pause between the messages of "For all who sacrificed" and "Thank you," further honoring the holiday by simulating a pseudo moment of silence.

Related: 10 Inspiring Quotes From People Featured as Google Doodles

Is Google only grey on Memorial Day?

Aside from Memorial Day, Google greyed out its logo on December 4, 2018 as memoriam for the passing of George H.W. Bush. Bush, before being the 41st president of the United States, served in the navy, where he was the youngest fighter pilot in World War II. While Google doodles are largely unpredictable, there are certainly patterns, and it seems the solemn grey is reserved for honoring those who have served and fought for the country.

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