As I write this article, It is currently November 2nd, and you know what that means! Halloween is over and the (un)official holiday season has begun! So let me be one of the first to wish you a very Happy Holidays.
As someone who blasted the Mariah Carey Christmas album on the way home from school today, I find importance in sharing my insight on the whole war that has seemed to breakout for the last couple of years around this time.
I must preface this article by stating that I am by no means attempting to offend or deny the beliefs of anyone else. All of these opinions are my own, and you have every right to hold an opinion that differs from mine. The topic of religion is a touchy one, and I am not usually one to touch on controversial topics on the internet.
Yesterday, November 1st, Starbucks released their brand new holiday cup, which features drawings of more than one hundred people connected and drawn with one singular stroke. According to the company, the new green cup was designed with the intention of representing the idea of community and unity during a time of much diversity.
Sounds beautiful…and seemingly appropriate for this historical period in time…doesn’t it? Apparently not, as it seems to have created an uproar of negativity and protest amongst the people. Much like last year, people are unenthusiastic about the bold statement that Starbucks has tried to make with its annual holiday cup design. For those who are unfamiliar, Starbucks’ holiday cup last year was a blank red cup, which was criticized for taking the true meaning of Christmas out of the holiday season. The actual intention, much like this year, was to promote diversity and allow others to create their own designs; to represent what the holiday season was to them.
By nature, people don’t like change, and that’s understandable. We are creatures of habit. We like our traditions, and we look forward to them with each passing year. With that being said, things are constantly changing, and if we got mad every single time something changed, we would miserable every second until the day we die. On top of that, don't we have better things to do than work ourselves up over what's printed on the cup we drink out of? Does it really matter that it's no longer red, but green?
Some have taken their outrage to the point of saying that because they have removed the usual festive designs, Starbucks is "anti-christ" and taking Jesus out of Christmas. This, in my opinion, couldn't be farther than the truth. If you think about it, ornaments, snowmen, presents, snowflakes, ice skates, and the like in no way insinuate Jesus. These are symbols that are used to signify the winter and holiday season for many different people and companies. While many associate them with Christmas, they have little to no connection to the story of Jesus' birth. It would be different had they stopped printing crosses and the nativity scene on the cups, which isn't the case here. Basically, the cups have always been "holiday" based.
In my opinion, the message behind the Starbucks cup this year is far more meaningful and authentic to the "true meaning of Christmas" than any in the past. This is supposed to be a peaceful time where we enjoy the company of loved ones and spread positive vibes. I think the message is saying that we should be focusing on unity and togetherness during this extremely diverse and divided holiday season. The idea of every person being connected as a community is exactly what the holiday season should be about. It's not about a battle of the holidays, but of taking the time to appreciate who and what we have in our lives. What better way to represent the holidays than with the people who celebrate them, whether they be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or anything in between?
