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‘War on Christmas’ turns into hashtag wars: now #ItsJustACup

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Starbucks released new solid red holiday cups, a design choice that has upset some people. Photo courtesy of Starbucks

Starbucks released new solid red holiday cups, a design choice that has upset some people. Photo courtesy of Starbucks

People on social media are responding to criticism that Starbucks is waging a war on Christmas with this year’s plain red holiday cup. The latest hot hashtag has a simple message: #ItsJustACup.

Starbucks said the unadorned cup allows customers to put their unique drawings and message on it, but some argued it’s one more way that companies are stripping the Christmas message from the holiday season.

Josua Feuerstein, an Arizona-based evangelist, posted a Facebook video on Nov. 5, accusing the coffee giant of removing the Christmas pattern because the company “hates Jesus.”

READ: Starbucks’ red cups, and the Internet outrage machine (COMMENTARY)

The video had been viewed more than 15 million times as of Wednesday.

“Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new cups?” Feuerstein asked. “That’s why they’re just plain red.”

Earlier this week, many used the hashtag #MerryChristmasStarbucks to slam the company on Twitter.

The controversy extended beyond the Internet and into the realm of politics on Nov. 9, when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump even weighed in, suggesting that maybe there should be a boycott against the company.

In response to the continuing debate over the cup, many are now using the hashtag #ItsJustACup to point out there are many bigger issues people should be focusing on.

Others noted that Christians shouldn’t feel like they are turning their back on Christmas because #ItsJustACup.

And a few noted that a boycott on Starbucks could result in shorter lines. Ah, silver linings.

Perhaps the solution lies in a new design?

(Contributing: Jessica Durando and Bart Jansen)

LM END BOWERMAN

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  • samuel johnston

    Nobody knows when Jesus was born. The Christians simply stole the Winter Solstice celebration (not the first, or last time it had been stolen). Our society is merely in the process of stealing it once again.

  • Fran

    My local paper in Nevada, every December 25, states under the Almanac about history that “On Dec. 25, A.D. 336, the first recorded celebration on Dec. 25 took place in Rome,” over 300 years after Jesus died! Jesus exact birthdate is not even mentioned in the Bible at all.

    It should be noted that when the shepherds in the field (most likely not out in the fields in the winter) were told by an angel about Jesus’ birth, they did NOT bear him ANY gifts at the manger! They only went back home, praised and glorified God for what they had seen and heard (Luke 2:7-20).

    When the wise men found Jesus at a later time, the family was in a home, Jesus was a “young child,” and they bore him gifts, only because they understood he would become a king (Matthew 2:1,2, 7-11).

    What Jesus did during his life was more important than birth: Preaching about God’s kingdom or heavenly government (Matt. 4:17) and giving up his life as a perfect ransom sacrifice for man (Matt. 20:28).

  • Marco Luxe

    Atheists United want to thank Josua Feuerstein for the recent upturn in the number of new members. Keep it up. [sarc]

  • Dominic

    Every Christmas season has a new, more insane argument about how it should be celebrated or expressed. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ into human history….no matter what day He was actually born or whether the day was chosen to replace the pagan Winter solstice holiday.
    The celebrations and images should be expressed with this in mind, who cares if non-Christians are offended? People do not display these decorations to be confrontational, they are joyful displays of a Birthday. The Birth of Jesus cannot be undone, or removed from the holiday, so why continue these insane arguments?
    Retailers and Big Business will never let this happen anyway.

  • Larry

    Actually the argument is really complaining how others should be celebrating Christmas. All in accordance with the demands of theocratic minded people who feel the need to “mark their territory” like incontinent terriers. Attempts to appropriate public things for their use only.

    How others chose to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas is nobody’s business. (Fundamentalist Christians generally have trouble with the concept of minding one’s business) Demanding that businesses, government offices and people’s lawns fall in accordance with your view of honoring a holiday is repugnant. These “War on Christmas” types are bemoaning a loss of undue privilege and unearned respect. Annoyed that people deign to show respect to beliefs besides their own or show polite neutrality to all beliefs.

  • Mike

    Did anyone else notice that the Starbucks Hanukkah cup has a menorah on it, but the Christmas one doesn’t have a nativity scene or Star of Bethlehem?

  • Larry

    Mike, that should lead you to the obvious conclusion:

    Starbucks values Jewish customers more than they value Christian ones like yourself.

    /sarcasm