While the set of Google doodles can be thought to encompass the entire holiday period from Christmas to New Year, December 26 is also Boxing Day. Boxing Day is tradition that is thought to stretch back to the Middle Ages, when employees would be given a 'Christmas box' of gifts from their employers on the day following Christmas Day.
In modern times however, Boxing Day is an official bank or federal holiday in many of the Commonwealth nations. In some European countries, December 26 is also celebrated as the Second Christmas Day, while in Ireland it is called St. Stephen's Day, or the Day of the Wren. South Africa renamed its Boxing Day holiday to the Day of Goodwill in relatively recent times (1994).
With this much ambiguity about just what December 26 represents, even in countries with a majority Christian population, it's hard not to agree with Google's diplomatic naming of its series of doodles as Happy Holidays for a more appropriate global reception.
However, just like last year, when Google straddled the same fence, the online masses are once again debating if the search giant has been too diplomatic by not wishing search users Merry Christmas instead of just Happy Holidays.
Last year's naming debate saw Google's supporters pointing out the usual proximity of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah to Christmas, which often saw people wishing each other 'Happy Holidays' during the common festive period, especially if uncertain about the other's specific faith. Detractors have more ammunition in 2013 however, with Hanukkah having finished in early December, and arguably not a part of the same holiday period.
Ironically however, this year, the start of Hanukkah fell on Thanksgiving day, and the latter was featured as the subject of the video doodle by Google (seen below).
source:http://gadgets.ndtv.com/others/news/happy-holidays-or-merry-christmas-googles-doodles-reignite-age-old-debate-463297
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