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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

Who knew that a coffee cup could spark so much controversy? This winter, Starbucks has come out with its holiday coffee cup design: a simple red cup with the Starbucks logo.

The issue that the cup has brought up is not so simple – in short, Starbucks is blamed for avoiding the offense it has brought to anyone and for lacking Christmas spirit by keeping holiday symbols out of this winter’s coffee cup design.

The amount of attention that social media has projected onto this issue shows just how big this has gotten.

British conservative MP David Burrowes has been quoted on Breitbart London and Buzzfeed to have said, “The Starbucks coffee cup change smells more of political correctness than a consumer-led change.”

Even a movement has begun in which customers are asking the barista to write “Merry Christmas” on their cups, and are trending the hashtag “#MerryChristmasStarbucks”.

 

Meanwhile, people have been making light of this situation and have made playful comments on Starbuck’s Facebook posts:

 

And the internet itself has also pulled out its jokes:

 

Obviously, like all controversies, where you stand on this issue depends on you. Reagrdless of your position, now you know how much a cup can mean…

Happy Holidays!

 

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Cheyenne is a first-year UCSB student currently studying Communication and Environmental Studies. She is a third-culture kid who grew up in Dubai, UAE and therefore loves to travel and challenge the different social constructs that exist within our world. She enjoys writing, exercising, fashion, film, and is a total foodie. You can find her on Instagram @cheyennekab.
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Kirby is a recent graduate from UCSB currently living in Los Angeles. As a proud Her Campus UCSB alum, she's happy to be back on the HC team covering one of her fave shows: "The Mindy Project." On any given day you can find her with her nose in a book (let's be real - it's a Kindle). In her free time, she likes petting dogs, binge-watching TV, and eating a lot of food. Find her on Instagram: @kirbynicoleb or @GirlBossEats.