Starbucks devotees get awfully excited about the chain’s annual unveiling of its holiday cups — but in recent years, not everyone has been so cheerful about it. The chain first introduced holiday cups in 1997, annually featuring Christmas-y designs such as reindeer and ornaments, and managing to remain scandal-free for nearly two decades.
In 2015, however, the tumultuous political climate of an America on the verge of electing Donald Trump to the presidency gave way to Starbucks’ first holiday cup debacle — and each year since, it seems the coffee giant manages to piss people off with its seasonal cup offerings, despite its best efforts.
Here now, a brief timeline of Starbucks’ holiday cup controversies, from 2015 to the present day:
2015
Starbucks rolls out a new holiday cup that’s decidedly more subdued than years past: a rather plain, red ombre design, which the company explains is intended to “usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories” (aka be more inclusive). This doesn’t sit well with some, including an internet evangelist by the name of Joshua Feuerstein. In a video that quickly goes viral, Feuerstein — clad in a Jesus t-shirt and clutching a handgun — rails against the coffee chain for trying “to take Christ and Christmas off of their...cups,” and encourages people to “prank” Starbucks by telling baristas their name is “Merry Christmas” so they’ll have to write it on their cup and call it out when the drink is ready.
Feuerstein’s screed and the resulting internet fury leads Donald Trump to weigh in on the controversy, telling supporters at a rally that the Starbucks cups were evidence of the “war on Christmas.”
2016
Following the 2015 debacle, Starbucks foregoes red cups altogether, instead going with a green cup featuring “a mosaic of more than a hundred people, drawn in one continuous stroke” — “a symbol of unity,” founder Howard Schultz explained. Somewhat predictably, this cup design leads to a swift backlash from a very vocal group of conservatives, with some claiming the cups are an attack on Christian values. Detractors take to Twitter to accuse the company of “political brainwashing” and spreading “liberal bias.”
2017
Starbucks brings back the red holiday cup, this time with a more holiday-esque design that features snowflakes, wrapped presents, and a pair of holding hands. Though the gender of said hands cannot be seen on the cup, Buzzfeed suggests the depiction is “totally gay” —leading conservative media outlets like Fox News and the Blaze to accuse the chain of pushing a gay agenda. Starbucks doesn’t confirm one way or the other, telling the New York Times, “We intentionally designed the cup so our customers can interpret it in their own way…”
2018
In a clear attempt to avoid the controversies of years past, Starbucks unveils four new holiday cup designs that are decidedly, if somewhat subtly, Christmas-y: a red and white stripe design reminiscent of candy canes; a white cup with a holly-esque pattern in mint green and red; a red and white houndstooth motif; and a “stargyle” design featuring twinkling stars on a dark green background. The more festive cup designs seem to satisfy Christmas crusaders of years gone by, and no Twitter firestorm erupts following their unveiling.
However, Starbucks won’t emerge from this holiday season entirely unscathed: This year it also rolls out a plain red, reusable holiday cup, which is given out for free on Friday, November 2 to customers who order a holiday drink. (Customers can then bring the cup back and get 50 cents off future holiday drinks.) But supplies are apparently very, very limited, leading to some stores running out within minutes of opening on Friday, and upset fans take to Twitter to in droves to voice their displeasure. Those who missed out on the free cups can now purchase one for $2.50, however.
Comments
how are these cups "more inclusive"? the example at hand, the red cup with only the Starbucks’ logo, implies that cups with no logo at all, and plain white cups at that, would be the most inclusive of all, that one couldn’t get any more inclusive than a cup with no markings whatsoever.
I’m an atheist, but I wouldn’t be offended by a cup with a manger scene on it.
however, some non-Christians are, of course. because of that, Starbucks should also carry plain cups. cups for each group would be most inclusive of all, a crescent moon for Muslims, a menorah for Jews, etc.
as for me, cup is a cup. i care about what’s in it, and how much that costs, rather than what’s printed on the outside.
By shining.genji on 11.10.15 8:41pm
regarding the "war on Christmas, surely it’s a fact, and Starbucks going from Christmas-themed cups to plain ones is part of it. the war on Christmas is ongoing attempt to drive Christmas from public places and limit them to private ones, homes and churches.
I’m an atheist. I have Muslim friends who say that they love Christmas because of the public decorations, that it’s "magical."
why would we want to give that up?
but some narrowminded, thin-skinned atheists, and yes, Jews, are offended by public displaces of Christianity, including Christmas.
we’ve given them the power to take the magic of Christians away from us, including those atheists, like myself, and non-Christians like my Muslim friends, too, who enjoy it.
By shining.genji on 11.10.15 8:47pm
I am a Christian and I think the whole thing is ridiculous. Our faith isn’t contingent on advertising in the secular world. No religion has the right to determine how businesses promote their products unless the company caters to a specific religious group. I’m really tired of a few people getting on the media and speaking for all of us. Far too many people who call themselves Christians know so little about Christianity. I get flack for writing Xmas instead of Christianity because ignorant Christians don’t know that the founders used X as a symbol for Christ. They also don’t know that the Xmas three, wreath, and even the date on which we celebrate Jesus’s birthday all have their roots in paganism. Not that pagans don’t have as much right to practice their religion as Christians. Freedom of religion means ALL religions. Christians don’t have a monopoly on worship. And we need to focus oin feeding the hungry and helping those in need as Jesus did and stop worrying about what is or isn’t on a coffee cup.
By Gneeva on 11.10.15 9:38pm
Edited comment below.
By Gneeva on 11.10.15 9:42pm
TI am a Christian and I think the whole thing is ridiculous. Our faith isn’t contingent on advertising in the secular world. No religion has the right to determine how businesses promote their products unless the company caters to a specific religious group. I’m really tired of a few people getting on the media and speaking for all of us. Far too many people who call themselves Christians know so little about Christianity. I get flack for writing Xmas instead of Christmas because ignorant Christians don’t know that the founders of our faith used X as a symbol for Christ. They also don’t know that the Xmas tree, wreath, and even the date on which we celebrate Jesus’s birthday all have their roots in paganism. Not that pagans don’t have as much right to practice their religion as Christians. Freedom of religion means ALL religions. Christians don’t have a monopoly on worship. And we need to focus oin feeding the hungry and helping those in need, as Jesus did and stop worrying about what is or isn’t on a coffee cup.
By Gneeva on 11.10.15 9:41pm
Having worked at Sbux for 11 years I can tell you that the cups have never been overtly Christian just so we could avoid controversy. If you look at past years designs there are snowmen, reindeer, stylized ornaments, poinsettias, things that evoke holiday memories. So, that being said, we still sell Christmas Blend coffee at this time of year. We haven’t changed that or taken it out of our stores. When there was an uproar about it several years ago, we also packaged the same coffee as Holiday Blend so that those who do not celebrate Christmas will not be offended. You want to be Christian for Christmas, give the money you would have spent on your $5 a day habit to a worthy cause-those that feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and shut-in, run prison ministries, run youth programs. Plus the 300 or more calories a day you would save by giving up your Holiday beverage would get you into shape for all that Christmas noshing.
By Nana6 on 11.11.15 9:01am
Shining Genji… I don’t know any Jewish people that don’t like Christmas …. they like all the attention their fellow Jew receives! Seriously though, about 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas so I can’t see why anyone is getting so upset over a paper cup (that will be thrown out a few minutes later). Perhaps we should look to see why such a rich, privileged country is bickering over something so irrelevant and stupid. There are people fleeing wars, poverty, violence and starvation. A paper cup is a triviality.
By meow bing on 11.11.15 1:27pm
This Feuerstein needs a muzzle…there is no room in this debate for ignorant fanatics.
By Marian29543 on 12.11.15 12:25pm