It is that time of year again. That time where starbucks comes out with their holiday drinks, and the forever, iconic and awaited for, holiday red cups. Or maybe not so red cups. This year starbucks mixed it up and came out with the green unity cup. And of course, there is already controversy about this. Last year, it was about why the red cup had "Christmasy" designs and it became controversial when starbucks made the holiday cups plain red. I guess they just can't catch a break now can they.

Taking a look back to where it all started, the Starbucks website shares the history behind the red cups. It is a tradition that started in 1997, and has expanded to something iconic many Americans await for during the holiday season.

Of course, this new green cup that just came out on November 1st, is very different from the past red cups the company usually comes out with for their signature holiday drinks. The transformation between the red cups is interesting to see. E News shares how they have changed over the years.

This is the red cup from 2006:

And here is one from 2012:

Then you have the controversial red cup of 2015:

And here is a timeline of the change of the cup in a broader sense:

And the current controversial green cup:

Obviously, every year comes with a new change, and also newer and better drinks for us to sip throughout the holiday season. Does a cup really matter as long as you are enjoying your favorite peppermint mocha that you have waited for months to indulge in? This year Starbucks came out with a cup that "celebrates community". So maybe we should all just let Starbucks be with the cups and accept the changes. Either way, is it not all about our favorite drinks?