I know there’s still a really contentious election going on, but we could all use some early Christmas cheer, right?
Amid all the hubbub over the tight race between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden, Starbucks released its annual holiday-themed cup designs and announced it is giving away free a free, reusable version to customers.
Baristas will also begin donning their red aprons Friday.
As Faithwire previously reported, the beverage behemoth first rolled out its seasonal cups in 1997. In 2015, conservative Christian activist Joshua Feuerstein gained notoriety for a Facebook post condemning Starbucks for its simple holiday-themed cup designs, which in the past had boasted ornamentation more in line with traditional Christmas decor. The faith-based provocateur saw the shift from Starbucks as an intentional turn away from the religious roots of the holiday season.
Feuerstein claimed during an interview with Faithwire in 2018 that Starbucks offered him “a ridiculous amount of money” for the rights to his viral 2015 video because the Seattle-based brand wanted to remove it from Facebook. Looking back at his viral moment, the activist said he feels the attention he brought to Starbucks “woke corporations, advertisers up to the fact that consumers want a values-based culture, including media, entertainment, products.”
Boz Brewer, chief operating officer for Starbucks, said in 2018 the company wanted its Christmas cups to showcase a return to more traditional holiday designs. He said the chain’s executives “listened” to critiques from those who “loved the tradition of Christmas.”
Here are the 2020 cups:
What else?
In late October, Starbucks competitor Dunkin’ unveiled its own Christmas-themed cups and made up its own word for the design: “Cheersin’.”
Dunkin’ described the word as a “playful combination of cheers and Dunkin’, symbolizing coming together in both celebration and appreciation.”