Christian Evangelicals Claim Starbucks' Plain Red Cup Design 'Denies The Hope Of Jesus'

Joanna Fantozzi|

Here are some signs of the modern holiday season: You start seeing decorations at the mall, TV spots start featuring ideas for the "perfect" Christmas gift, and Starbucks replaces its regular cups with cheerful red ones. Usually Starbucks seasonal red cups, which appear in early November annually, are a sign of joy (and gingerbread lattes!).But this year, the coffee giant has made some enemies. Some Christian evangelicals are expressing consternation that this year's red cup designs are minimalist with a red ombré pattern, instead of featuring more "seasonal" patterns like snowflakes or Christmas lights like in years past.

"In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs," said Starbucks' vice president of design and content Jeffrey Fields in a statement. "This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories."

Many Christian customers have decided to boycott Starbucks because they believe that the new plain red cup design invokes a "war on Christianity."

"This is a denial of historical reality and the great Christian heritage behind the American Dream that has so benefitted Starbucks," Andrea Williams of the U.K.-based organization Christian Concern British news website Breitbart. "This also denies the hope of Jesus Christ and His story so powerfully at this time of year."

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