Written by Julia Rodriquez, Asst Opinions Editor
Every year the holiday season hits with an array of seasonal promotions from various companies. Annually, Starbucks has released a festive version of their cup to celebrate the upcoming holidays and winter. This year’s cup was a simple red ombre design. As in past years, there have been praises over the temporary looks. However, there have been a few disapprovals among the approvals.
There is controversy over this year’s cup because some members of the Christian community claim that Starbucks is taking the Christ out of Christmas by not writing Merry Christmas on their cups.
Starbucks is not an exclusively Christian company and welcomes all customers regardless of their beliefs. Therefore, I believe that it would be wrong of them to have a cup dedicated exclusively to one specific religious celebration. A cup that is simply winter themed rather than the company making it Christmas themed in order to seasonally promote itself seems less offensive.
It is understandable that Christians would get frustrated at people celebrating Christmas for the greed of presents or for other unreligious reasons, as it is a day meant to celebrate their Savior. However, I do not think it is right to try and force companies through complaint and protest to take part in festivities.
We are supposed to be free to celebrate whatever we want, however we want including Christmas.
Christians are concerned with preserving the sanctity of Christmas’s true meaning. However, it has become such a commercial holiday— with Santa, presents and candy—that companies are making too much money to want to change their ways.
Rather than trying to get Starbucks to change their cups to say Merry Christmas, the community should be concerned because companies do not properly represent all holidays this season. Yet, in a country so diverse, it is hard to keep up with every culture within.
Perhaps it would be better for companies who do not exclusively associate themselves with one religion to keep the religious holidays out of their campaigns. Although, as previously said, they simply make too much money to ever want to do that, and, they are allowed to because this is a free country.