November 1st is often an important date in our society. When most of us are still passed out in bed wearing our “cat makeup” from the previous night’s festivities, the entire city seems to transform itself in preparation for the holiday season. And there is nothing that says “Christmas is only 8 Mondays away!” like Starbucks holiday cups. November is the transitional period where ‘coffee’ drinkers stop ordering Pumpkin Spice Lattés and start asking for Peppermint Mochas.
This year, however, Starbucks’ red cups are serving up controversy alongside their standard whipped cream concoctions. This controversy stems from the 2015 holiday cup, which “features a two-toned ombre design, with a bright poppy colour on top that shades into a darker cranberry below.”
This minimalist approach to the holiday season has upset some Christians who have taken to the internet to speak out. Voices from blogs, Twitter, and Facebook claim that Starbucks is “rejecting Jesus…and Christmas” by keeping their cups devoid of holiday images. The movement against Starbucks has gained momentum and has caught the attention of Buzzfeed, Time, and Forbes Magazine.
Starbucks has been producing holiday cups since 1997, and this year chose its design as “a simplistic and…more open way to usher in the holidays.” Personally, I didn’t think much of the cups until I started seeing the hashtag “#MerryChristmasStarbucks” trending on Twitter. This is where Christians will give “Merry Christmas” as their name at Starbucks as a form of protest, forcing the Barista to say “Merry Christmas!” Note, that in order to succesfully “#MerryChristmasStarbucks,” one still has to buy coffee from the company. I find it hard to understand the outrage against the simple paper containers. The cups are pretty, red, and still signal–at least to me–the start of the holiday season. Moreover, if you look at the evolution of the cups from the last seven years (view here) you can see that this minimalist direction has been in the works since 2013.
It seems far-fetched to claim that these cups are decidedly anti-Christian based on the lack of snowflakes, strings of lights, and ice skates included in the design. The cups are still a beautiful red colour which is a colour associated with Christmas more so than any other December holiday. Moreover, if this cup is an attempt by Starbucks to be more inclusive, why are so many people against inclusivity? Christmas and the holiday season, generally speaking, are about warmth, love, and welcoming others into our homes. Starbucks is not waging a war against Christians, but simply trying something new in the holiday spirit. More to the point, even if you dislike the new holiday design, will that really keep you from ordering your prized Creme Brulee Latte?