Itâs that time of the year again. Nearly as soon as Halloween ends, twinkling lights appear, holiday decorations plaster storefronts and the internet complains about Starbucksâ new cups.
On Tuesday, the giant coffee chain introduced a limited-edition green cup celebrating community at its U.S. stores. The artwork on the cup shows a mosaic of more than a hundred faces drawn in a single, continuous pen stroke. In a , the companyâs chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, said the cup represents Starbucksâ connections to the community.
âDuring a divisive time in our country, Starbucks wanted to create a symbol of unity as a reminder of our shared values, and the need to be good to each other,â Schultz said.
Friends, baristas, and customers drawn in one continuous lineâreminding us we're all connected.
â Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks)
Artist Shogo Ota was commissioned to craft the new cups and his âthreaded designâ was intended to show âshared humanityâ and a âunited community,â according to the press release.
The Starbucks announcement didnât say anything about the green cups being released as this yearâs annual holiday cup. Since 1997, the coffee company has rolled out a festive new cup design every year during the holiday season.
Last year, the when they released a simple red holiday cup that didnât include any traditional Christmas motifs. The company was accused of creating a âwar on Christmasâ and taking Christianity out of the holidays.
Since you're running away from Christianity, I'm running from you! Just exercising my financial choice
â Leah (@Hael381)
The fact that Starbucks took Merry Christmas off their cups is crazy to see where our society has come to. Cmon Who doesn't like Christmas.
â Diego (@traplifetrue)
It may have been the cupsâ November release or the green colour that led many customers into believing they were Starbucksâ latest holiday cup. For a design that was intended to inspire unity in the community, the cup appeared to incite more outrage than harmony ⌠in the online community anyway.
RT if you think is trying to take Jesus out of Christmas with the new cup. Make this go viral so Starbucks makes cups red again.
â Jazmine H (@JazzHandd)
When it's red cup season but Starbucks is giving out green ones
â Isabella (@itzabella_matuk)
My Starbucks cup is green. What level of outrage should I be at Twitter?
â Dan Mott (@DMott3)
This is ugly. I want snowflakes âď¸!
â crystal fox (@bluefox198107)
Went to get my first Red Cup and it's GREEN? WHAT? My gingerbread latte is instantly less festive. So mad .
â Meg Towner (@MegTowner)
Despite the onslaught of negative reviews online, not everyone was upset about the green cups. A number of social media users commended the coffee chain for their attempt at positivity.
I like the news green holiday cup - I like to think its a message of inclusivity (w/ppl on cup). Prob reading too much into it!
â Meggie (@mbsthinks)
You gotta love people so miserable that a cup meant to celebrate community offends them. community is liberal?
â Rey (@vedhed21)
Totally feelin' this green cups from ! Positive way to start the day! â¤ď¸
â ChicagoChocoCup (@ChicagoChocoCup)
can't believe how pissed people get over a cup of any color. Lol
â Robert (@Giants55)
love it! Desperately needed reminder in turbulent times âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
â jamadoria (@janel_amador)
Another Twitter user realized the green cup was probably not even this yearâs holiday design.
All this annoyance, and it's probably not even the holiday cup.
â Davi Morgan (@DaviMorganna)
Enraged customers will be able to calm their shaken nerves after numerous photos showed up on social media of Starbucks boxes with the text âNo peeking until November 10â printed on the side indicating the holiday cups have yet to be revealed. One Reddit user, DasUberSquid, even posted a photo of a red cup with holly leaves and the caption âI peeked.â Starbucks has not confirmed if the leaked photo shows this yearâs cup design.