Starbucks Ditches Red Holiday Cups, Includes Same-Sex Couple in New Holiday Ad

The Holidays Mean Something Different to Everyone' Starbucks Says

Starting in 1997 Starbucks, for the Holiday season, began switching its regular coffee cups to Holiday-themed red-colored cups. Over the past few years some extremist evangelical Christians who believe they have the right to direct Starbucks' marketing campaigns have responded in fury, demanding a return to Starbucks' more Christmas-themed cups of previous years.

The Seattle-based international coffee purveyor in 2008, for example, used snowflakes and turtledoves to send its Holiday messages of cheer. In 2009, the cups looked almost like Christmas trees, with Holiday messages on ornaments. In 2010, carolers and snowflakes. 2011, ice skaters and sledders. 2012, a snowman. 2013, the cups were red and gold with Christmas tree ornaments. In 2014, varying shades of red to imply snowflakes.

And then, it happened.

In 2015, Starbucks went solid red, inspiring this evangelical former pastor and Facebook attention-seeker to proclaim that Starbucks "hates Jesus." Remember? The far right went ballistic. Starbucks responded by saying the red cups allowed customers to write or draw their own messages.

Last year, Starbucks opted for 13 different designs created by customers around the world. And we didn't hear a peep.

But we will this year.