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Jordan Greene

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https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/starbucks-risks-more-war-on-christmas-backlash-with-merry-coffee-cups

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https://www.eater.com/2015/11/10/9705570/starbucks-holiday-red-cups-controversy-history

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Customers who received this year's reusable red cup can bring it back to a participating Starbucks store after 2 p.m. starting Nov. 7 to receive a discount off their handcrafted grande holiday beverage, for a limited time.

Each year, the arrival of the Starbucks red cup signals the return of the holidays. To celebrate the start of the season, Starbucks is giving customers who order a holiday beverage at participating Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada on Nov. 7 a free limited-edition reusable red cup, while supplies last. The 2019 reusable red cup design is a riff on this year's holiday theme, with the words "Merry Coffee" dancing on an iconic holiday red background.

The gift that keeps on giving
Customers who bring their 2019 reusable red cup to a participating Starbucks store in the U.S. or Canada after 2 p.m. starting Nov. 7 will get 50 cents off their handcrafted grande (16-ounce) holiday beverage through Jan. 6.

Sip and savor all season long

Qualifying holiday beverages include any size hot, iced or blended of the following: Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte (available in Canada only), Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel Mocha and Toasted White Chocolate Mocha (available in the United States only).
BYOC: Bring Your Own Cup

Add another reusable holiday cup to your collection with the Merry Coffee tumbler, available for $2 at participating Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada, while supplies last. As with any personal cup, customers will receive 10 cents off their drink order this holiday season and year-round.

All the details: customers may receive one complimentary red reusable cup for each holiday handcrafted beverage purchased at participating stores, while supplies last. The offer applies for in-store purchases, including Mobile Order & Pay, and Drive Thru.

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Customers who received this year's reusable red cup can bring it back to a participating Starbucks store after 2 p.m. starting Nov. 7 to receive a discount off their handcrafted grande holiday beverage, for a limited time. Each year, the arrival of the Starbucks red cup signals the return of the holidays.

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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.

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Starbucks' Holiday Cup Controversies, Explained

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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.

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By

'Tis the season to rip Starbucks for its holiday cups.

The Seattle coffee giant has brewed up plenty of controversy year over year in trying to make its festive cups more inclusive for those who don't celebrate Christmas. And 2019 is no exception.

Starbucks unwrapped this year's holiday cup design Thursday: four different patterns, styled in red, white and Starbucks' signature green (which are, coincidentally, Christmas colors - although Kwanzaa shares red and green, as well as black). The different cups showcase either swirling candy cane stripes, or green polka dots, as well as the terms "Merry Coffee" and "Starbucks" printed all over them.

And, as has become holiday tradition in recent years, some sippers accused the chain of being part of the so-called "War on Christmas."

One customer tweeted a photo of the green "Merry Coffee" cup with, "They do anything to avoid saying the name 'Christ'... Very ugly design too."

Is merry coffee a war on Christmas? pic.twitter.com/XKazbF7Y8B
- HayleyBecker (@HaylBecks) November 7, 2019

Good to see the war on Christmas is going well, these cups are ugly pic.twitter.com/4Z5diiwh4C
- Ellen But Make It Spooky (@_ellenisdead) November 7, 2019

But perhaps even more cringeworthy was the "merry coffee" slogan itself, according to many on Twitter . A Grub Street headline also asked, "WTF Is 'Merry Coffee'?" The story continued, "It's almost offensive how inoffensive these cups will be."

I'm gonna get a jump start on the Starbucks holiday cup drama by saying that "Merry Coffee" is the silliest slogan I have ever heard
- Thot Hashira (@LatinAlbert) November 6, 2019

Multi-billion dollar corporation and they came up with Merry Coffee. Wow.
- DG (@DG6114) November 6, 2019

A Starbucks spokesperson that MarketWatch that, "During the holidays, Starbucks aspires to spark mini moments of joy in our customers when they visit our stores, making their day even more cheerful and bright."

During the holidays, Starbucks aspires to bring mini moments of joy in our customers when they visit our stores, making their day even more cheerful and bright."

And the "merry coffee" tagline is not a way to avoid saying "Merry Christmas," but rather, "'Merry coffee' is a fun and festive expression that we hope our customers feel as they take the very first sip of their favorite Starbucks holiday beverage." The rep noted that Starbucks is still selling its signature Christmas Blend coffee (its 35th year doing so), and that holiday music, including Christmas carols, will be played in stores.

Starbucks has been serving its seasonal peppermint mochas and eggnog lattes in holiday cups since 1995, when the original vessel was actually closer to purple than red. After those first magenta cups in 1995 and 1996, the chain began rolling out the now-iconic candy apple red holiday cups each November that long featured more Christmas-y designs such as reindeer, Santa on his sleigh, Christmas lights and Christmas tree ornaments - although they didn't explicitly say "Merry Christmas." The cups also featured more general wintery icons like snowmen and snowflakes.

Starbucks

But then it really ticked-off Christmas traditionalists in 2015 by releasing a plain, ombre red cup with no designs on it at all, intended to "usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories."

The backlash against Starbucks for waging a "war on Christmas" (with former pastor Joshua Feuerstein tweeting that Starbucks removed Christmas from its cups because "they hate Jesus") reached fever pitch. Even then-presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed the cup controversy on the campaign trail. "Maybe we should boycott Starbucks," he told a crowd in Springfield, Ill. "If I become president, we're all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you."

The following year, Starbucks scrapped the red cups for green ones featuring "a mosaic of more than a hundred people, drawn in one continuous stroke" that was supposed to be "a symbol of unity" after a contentious election year. Some customers didn't buy it, and accusations of an anti-Christmas bias persisted.

In 2017, the holiday cup featured more familiar Christmas-y symbols like snowflakes and wrapped gifts in red, white and green - as well as a pair of holding hands. The non-binary hand-holding spurred some conservatives to question whether Starbucks was pushing a gay agenda. The chain told the New York Times that, "We intentionally designed the cup so our customers can interpret it in their own way."

So last year, Starbucks avoided major controversy for a change by rolling out holiday cups in four different designs: a holly print; a red, white and green stripe; and two others that resemble Christmas gift wrapping paper. It also introduced a sustainable, reusable red holiday cup, which it brought back on Thursday morning as a free gift for Starbucks customers who came in early and ordered a holiday drink, only available while supplies lasted.

It must have gotten the recipe right that time, as Starbucks' foot traffic nearly doubled after it released its holiday cups last year.

What do you think of this year's cups? Let us know in the comments.

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'Merry Coffee' is the best Starbucks could come up with for its holiday cups?

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By 'Tis the season to rip Starbucks for its holiday cups. The Seattle coffee giant has brewed up plenty of controversy year over year in trying to make its festive cups more inclusive for those who don't celebrate Christmas. And 2019 is no exception.

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https://theweek.com/articles/820395/boycott-starbucks-dont-bother

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Different cultures/traditions in U.S.A. 

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Different cultures/traditions in U.S.A. 

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Many people of different religions and cultures, celebrate this holiday in a different way or in a different date than we are used to. The war on christmas is not all about cups.

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Starbucks

Merry Coffee, everyone!

Christmas has come early for caffeine-lovers as Starbucks annual holiday red cups officially hit stores on Nov. 7, with four new seasonal designs for fans to snap a red cup-selfie with.

2019's offerings for the long tradition include four designs: polka dots, merry dance, merry stripes and candy cane stripes, with the company saying in a statement that the trendy designers and bright colors are meant to "evoke mini moments of joy for our customers and partners-it's fun, festive and uniquely Starbucks."

Plus, like last year, the company offered a limited edition reusable cup for the seasonal sippers to enjoy their Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate, Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte or Eggnog Latte in, with the added bonus of receiving 50 cents off any future drink purchases through the holiday season if they used the cup.

2019's four festive designs for the highly anticipated red cups, which first debuted back in 1997, were pretty well-received, though not all of Starbucks' releases received such a jolly welcome.

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A Look at How Starbucks Holiday Cups Have Changed Over the Years

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Starbucks Merry Coffee, everyone! Christmas has come early for caffeine-lovers as Starbucks annual holiday red cups officially hit stores on Nov. 7, with four new seasonal designs for fans to snap a red cup-selfie with.

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Emily Bauman

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Emily Bauman

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Emily Bauman

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Guess we can all go ahead and celebrate a new religion this season

For its annual holiday drinks and cups announcement - Weren't your calendars marked for the day after the election? - Starbucks has released four new designs, one special reusable red cup and five seasonal beverages, all available starting Nov. 7. Feel free to exhale.

The most exciting of these developments, perhaps, is Starbucks' use of the phrase "Merry Coffee" in this year's branding. In the past, Starbucks has been criticized for not being Christmas enough, not being heterosexual enough and not serving good coffee.

But now it's gone ahead and replaced the holiday with a new religion. Do you want to see the company's official holiday cup design descriptions? Of course you do.

Polka Dots: "The traditional Starbucks red cup is dotted with green, with the Siren playfully popping in here and there."

Merry Dance: "A lively pairing of red and green letters jazz up a snowy white cup with a joyful holiday wish."

Merry Stripes: "From a distance, this cup looks like it's wrapped in green vintage wrapping paper. But up close, its tiny type offers a happy holiday sentiment."

Candy Cane Stripe: "The colors of the holiday all come together with this design as the Starbucks wordmark falls like snow against stripes of candy cane red and white."

And on to the seasonal drinks: Peppermint and toasted white chocolate mochas, and caramel brulée, chestnut praline and eggnog lattes all make a comeback this year.

RELATED: Denver among latest cities to get Starbucks delivery service

There will be no gingerbread lattes. Feel free to process.

Starting Thursday, while supplies last, Starbucks will give away reusable red "Merry Coffee" cups to those who renounce Christmas, or just buy a holiday drink.
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Josie is a good eater and drinker with experience snacking from the Midwest to the Middle East. After very nearly expatriating, she has spent the past six years around Denver writing about food news, trends, and policy and just trying to figure out Colorado's cuisine.

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Did Starbucks just replace "Christmas" with "coffee" on its new holiday cups?

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Guess we can all go ahead and celebrate a new religion this season For its annual holiday drinks and cups announcement - Weren't your calendars marked for the day after the election? - Starbucks has released four new designs, one special reusable red cup and five seasonal beverages, all available starting Nov.