It’s that time of year again where everyone is getting into the holiday spirit. For many Americans, December is an especially meaningful time of year as they celebrate either Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, and then finally, New Year’s Eve. All month long, homes are decorated, gifts are sold, bought, and wrapped, and families come together to celebrate. No matter what holiday you and your friends and family may choose to celebrate or take part in, it can be agreed that the holiday season is the best and most joyous time of the year.

So why is it that Starbucks has decided to remove all holiday related symbols from their seasonal cups? These cups, which came out in early November, are now simply red with the Starbucks logo on the front. In an attempt to create an inclusive atmosphere where you can “create your own stories,” Starbucks has removed what they believe to be religiously affiliated symbols that represent Christmas and the season of giving. Many Christians were, and still are, outraged by the actions of Starbucks.

I personally believe that it is ridiculous for the coffee company to remove these symbols. For one thing, the cups from the previous years have been decorated with snowflakes, reindeer, and snowmen. I think that it is safe to say that snowflakes and snowmen are symbols of winter and not Christmas. While I understand that reindeer are one of the most important parts of Christmas, they do not actually represent Christianity and have no religious connection whatsoever. For another, the cups do not say “Merry Christmas” and are in no way forcing the holiday on those who do not celebrate it. I believe that it would make the most sense for the cups to say “Happy Holidays.” With a greeting like that, all winter holidays and the celebration of the New Year can be included. If people are truly offended by the holiday cups and support the new, apparently secular ones, perhaps they should consider the facts.

In recent years, thanks to the advancement of media, Christmas has become so incredibly commercialized and if anything, has been separated from its original religious background. The holiday is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. However, Santa Claus, reindeer, presents, Christmas trees, and candy canes are anything but religious symbols. While Christmas seemingly caters to Christians, there are many other people, non-Christians, who choose to celebrate it. In fact, Christmas is on Dec. 25 because it coincides with the ancient Pagan festival of the winter solstice. Bringing Christmas trees into your home and hanging wreaths and holly are also Pagan traditions because they symbolize life in an otherwise dead winter. So for someone to say that Christmas is based entirely on Christianity, that person would be wrong.

My point is that the holiday season does not just revolve around Christmas because there are other holidays that are celebrated. Additionally, it is wrong of Starbucks to take away the symbols of winter and holidays from their seasonal cups because they are not focusing on one specific holiday. If anything, Starbucks is being hypocritical. If they truly wanted to be completely and totally secular and worry themselves over inclusion, then there should not be a special cup for the season at all. Red is technically a Christmas color, and by keeping the cup red, they are going against their original goal of diversity.

I actually applaud Starbucks for trying to be all-inclusive because it is important not to impose beliefs or prejudices onto other people. However, I think it is strange for them to remove symbols of winter and replace them with a color that is generally associated with a specific holiday.