Nothing says the most magical time of the year is here quite like a Starbucks red cup, and this year is extra special as <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2022/celebrating-25-years-of-starbucks-mostly-red-holiday-cups/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks celebrates 25 years of the iconic holiday cup </a>and the return of a full menu of seasonal favorites. This season, four new Starbucks Holiday cup designs offer all the holiday sparkle and cheer as customers enjoy their first sip of their Starbucks Peppermint Mocha or favourite holiday beverage.

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This season, four new Starbucks Holiday cup designs offer all the holiday sparkle and cheer as customers enjoy their first sip of their Starbucks Peppermint Mocha or favourite holiday beverage. 

Red Cup Season is Here! 2022 Starbucks Holiday Red Cup Designs - Starbucks Canada

Starbucks Canada

Red Cup Season is Here! 2022 Starbucks Holiday Red Cup Designs

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When Starbucks introduced its first holiday cups back in 1997, the word “selfie” had not yet been invented. Facebook and Twitter were still years away. Still, those holiday cups created buzz.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sandy Nelson, then a Starbucks designer, created that first set of holiday cups, selected from over 100 design concepts. They weren’t red – but instead were wrapped like a gift in rich shades of magenta, sapphire, and emerald and purple. The design featured a linoleum block-style pattern with swirls and hand-drawn holly leaves flecked with coffee beans.&nbsp;

Nelson remembers the first time she saw customers carrying cups with her designs. She was visiting Anchorage, Alaska for Thanksgiving, and stepped off the plane to see a Starbucks kiosk piled high with stacks of colourful cups she had designed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I thought, wow, this is big,” Nelson said. “But I had no idea what was ahead.”&nbsp;

The next year, the holiday cups made an even bigger splash as customers were invited to “embrace the warmth” of the holidays with a cup in purple hues. Then in 1999, the cups featured a candy-apple red design for the first time, and a new icon was born. Before long, pop culture websites featured countdown clocks anticipating when cups would be “red again,” and the cups popped up everywhere from nascent social media platforms to late-night talk shows. Year after year, the excitement around the holiday cup seemed to grow and the cup itself became emblematic of the season.&nbsp;

“What’s happened now in popular culture is that the appearance of the red cup signals to people that it’s time to celebrate the holidays,” said Sandy Nelson. “Who would have thought 25 years ago that would happen?”&nbsp;

This year, Starbucks is introducing <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2022/red-cup-season-is-here-2022-starbucks-holiday-red-cup-designs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a new set of four designs for the holidays,</a> wrapped like a gift for their customers just as they were 25 years ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Looking back at all the years of holiday cups, you can see the commitment to design and artistry and all things handcrafted,” said Gary Jacobson, Starbucks creative director for this year’s holiday campaign. “I think that’s why they have become part of a lot of people's holiday traditions. They just invite people in.”&nbsp;

Read on for a look at the last 25 years of holiday cups, plus this year’s new design:&nbsp;

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With the first holiday cups, customers could enjoy a Christmas Blend brewed coffee in one of four jewel-toned hues. &nbsp;

Stores were adorned in deep purple and sepia tones with an elegant holiday cup featuring swirling snowflakes. &nbsp;

The classic candy-apple red Starbucks holiday cup makes its first appearance in this whimsical design with black line-drawings of snowflakes, stockings and winter celebrations.&nbsp;

“Coffeetown” was the theme for the Y2K cup, depicting a whimsical village of coffee pots, set against a glittering nighttime sky.&nbsp;

Giving the gift of Starbucks became easier than ever this holiday with the introduction of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2020/celebrating-20-years-of-the-starbucks-card/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first Starbucks Gift Cards</a>. The cups themselves are designed to look like a present, trimmed with green and red ribbon and old-fashioned postage stamps.

Peppermint Mocha makes its debut this year, and a cup design that featured white line art, an illustration style that returned again in 2005 and 2016.&nbsp;

Shadows dance across a fanciful scene with shimmering stars and snowflakes.&nbsp;

The Starbucks logo is reminiscent of an evergreen wreath in this year’s cup design. The cup was also the star of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-HFl7o1Vxw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks video</a> featuring the cup fixed atop the roof of a yellow taxi speeding through the streets of San Francisco.&nbsp;

This nostalgic design features white woodcut-style drawings and a string of holiday lights twinkling along the rim, along with a reminder that “It only happens once a year.”&nbsp;

Illustrations that appear as intricate cut paper silhouettes gather in traditional holiday tableaux.&nbsp;

Ice skaters twirl on a frozen pond as snowflakes gently fall in this quiet winter scene.&nbsp;

A field of reindeer and a single white dove are depicted in a moonlit woodland landscape with an overlay of a cozy knitted pattern. &nbsp;

Caramel Brûlé Latte make its debut this year, along with a cup design that featured cut-paper ornaments inscribed with the words “joy, hope, love, light, peace” hanging on sprigs of evergreen.&nbsp;

The cups take on a more modern vibe with new holiday characters catching snowflakes in a palette of red, white and gray.&nbsp;

Carolers sing, an ice skater spins, and a dog sleds down a hill with these series of three holiday cups. Customers make these <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3VeweHD74" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">merry scenes come to life</a> with Starbucks Cup Magic, an augmented reality app.&nbsp;

The holiday characters, including a jaunty snowman, come in for their close-up in this design series with bold accents of navy and gold.&nbsp;

The cup features a swoop of coffee cherries, coffee flowers and vintage ornaments painted in a deep garnet with touches of gold.&nbsp;

“Let there be bright” is the theme for the holiday, with fanciful brushstrokes in bold colours.&nbsp;

The cup features a two-toned ombré design, with a bright poppy colour on top that shaded into a darker cranberry below.&nbsp;

For the first time, Starbucks features customer-created <a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-red-cups-2016" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">holiday cups with 13 designs</a> from six countries around the world, all with hand-drawn white against a red background.&nbsp;

Starbucks unveils its first white holiday cup that customers could colour in themselves, with a pair of hands connected with swirling ribbons and splashes of red and green. Later in the season, a red cup debuted with a white heart inviting customers to “Give Good.”&nbsp;

The suite of cups celebrated the spirit of yesteryear with a modern twist, with doses of vintage colours and patterns and reinterpreted with graphic flair. The set of four designs featured snippets of Starbucks holidays past – a star, a branch of coffee cherries and a flame.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A perfectly wrapped gift inspired this series of four designs in our signature colours of red, white and Starbucks green. Typography is used as the main illustrative element for three of the designs, with whole letters playfully danced like musical notes (and even sprang to life on Instagram using augmented reality). Irish Cream Cold Brew made its debut this season in a special holiday cold cup with dancing letters that spelled “merry coffee.”&nbsp;

Designers started with little ribbons like washi tape (a decorative, adhesive tape) and wrapped them in different ways on cups. They brought in greens and a shade of red that’s a little brighter than the shade Starbucks may be famous for to give it an extra pop. The cups reminded customers to “Carry the Merry.”&nbsp;

With shimmering ribbons, a splash of colour and a sprinkle of stars – this year’s designs are wrapped up like gifts for the holidays. This year's theme features festive colours of red, green and white with playful touches of lilac.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The classic holiday red and Starbucks green are joined with accents of mint and sparkles in this set of cup designs, a perfect way to celebrate the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2022/starbucks-peppermint-mocha-a-love-story" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">20th anniversary of the Peppermint Mocha</a>.&nbsp;

How did a coffee cup become a cultural icon? Let’s take a look back at 25 years of Starbucks holiday cups.

Celebrating 25 years of Starbucks (mostly) red holiday cups - Starbucks Canada

Celebrating 25 years of Starbucks (mostly) red holiday cups

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It’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" target="_blank">holiday time at Starbucks</a>, and your favourite holiday beverages are back starting tomorrow (Nov. 6). Starbucks is kicking off the season by giving customers a red collectible holiday cup when they order any beverage of any size at participating stores in Canada. The offer starts when participating stores open on Nov. 6 while supplies last, quantities are limited. This year’s cup will warm your heart as well as your hands, with a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/the-holiday-season-at-starbucks-starts-tomorrow/" target="_blank">festive design</a>&nbsp;that evokes a cozy holiday sweater.

The free collectible cup offer is available for orders picked up in participating Canadian stores (including café, drive-thru and curbside) and through <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ubereats.com/ca/brand/starbucks/?utm_source=starbucks_can&amp;utm_medium=brandpage&amp;utm_content=PAowned" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.ubereats.com/ca/brand/starbucks/?utm_source=starbucks_can&amp;utm_medium=brandpage&amp;utm_content=PAowned" target="_blank">Starbucks Delivers</a> with Uber Eats. The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucks.ca/rewards/mobile-apps" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/rewards/mobile-apps" target="_blank">Starbucks app</a> makes it easy to find a Starbucks location, check store hours, order ahead and use contactless payment. (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/how-to-guide-for-digital-ordering-at-starbucks/" target="_blank">Here’s a guide to show you how.</a>) When making a plan for your visit know that Starbucks has taken a number of actions to protect the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/what-customers-need-to-know-about-starbucks-response-to-covid-19/" target="_blank">health and well-being of our customers and partners</a> (employees), and strives to meet or exceed the standards outlined by the Public Health Agency of Canada for a safe experience, including continued emphasis on&nbsp;cleaning and sanitizing protocols in stores and enhanced store signage to support social distancing.

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Offer is good for any beverage (hot, iced or blended).

Starbucks Holiday Cups 2020

Starbucks is giving a free limited-edition red holiday cup to customers who order any beverage at participating Canadian stores on Nov. 6, while supplies last.

Our Gift to You: Starbucks to Give Away Collectible Holiday Cups on Nov. 6

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Sometimes a Peppermint Mocha is more than just a beverage. It’s a moment of joy, a familiar ritual that connects holidays past and present. Starting tomorrow (Nov. 6), customers in Canada can enjoy the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/comfort-and-joy-starbucks-canada-brings-back-holiday-favourites/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/comfort-and-joy-starbucks-canada-brings-back-holiday-favourites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comforts of the season</a>&nbsp;at Starbucks stores with a flurry of returning seasonal favourites, including <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/496/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Fmochas" target="_blank">Peppermint Mocha</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/415/hot" target="_blank">Eggnog Latte,</a> <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/517/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes#:~:text=Espresso%2C%20steamed%20milk%20and%20rich,Hot%20Coffees%20%2F%20Caramel%20Brulee%20Latte" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/517/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes#:~:text=Espresso%2C%20steamed%20milk%20and%20rich,Hot%20Coffees%20%2F%20Caramel%20Brulee%20Latte" target="_blank">Caramel Brûlé Latte,</a> <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/417/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/417/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gingerbread Latte</a> and <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/873068661/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/873068661/hot?parent=%2Fdrinks%2Fhot-coffees%2Flattes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chestnut Praline Latte</a>, along with <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/2123140/iced" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/2123140/iced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Irish Cream Cold Brew</a>, Canadian exclusive <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/2123138/hot" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.starbucks.ca/menu/product/2123138/hot" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Irish Cream Americano</a> and new holiday cups, food items and gifts.

While the holidays may feel a bit different this year, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the season with Starbucks. The company is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-canada-safety-precautions-in-light-of-covid-19/" target="_blank">focused on the health and well-being of its customers and partners</a> (employees), and strives to meet or exceed the standards outlined by the Public Health Agency of Canada, including continued emphasis on cleaning and sanitizing protocols in stores and enhanced store signage to support social distancing.&nbsp;

The story behind this year’s cups

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This year’s theme, Carry the Merry, is an invitation to enjoy the little moments of brightness around you.

“When we started designing the cups over a year ago, we didn’t know anything about what 2020 would bring. Our mindset was about people carrying them out in the world as messengers of joy,” said Jeff Wilkson, Creative director for Starbucks. “In a way that message deepened as we got further and further into the year. We want to be that beacon for people, a brief moment that they can look forward to.”

To bring that sentiment to life on the cups, the team started with brand elements like the Siren and the wordmark and mixed in holiday themes and colours, drawing inspiration from the <a href="https://creative.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks creative expression</a><a href="https://creative.starbucks.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://creative.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> guide</a>.

“Early in our exploration, one of our designers had started making these little ribbons that almost looked like washi tape (a decorative, adhesive tape),” Wilkson said. “We had this one session where we were just so inspired by these different patterns that we cut them out with scissors and started wrapping them in different ways on cups.”

They continued to play with brand elements and toy with scale as the designs took shape. For the colour palette, the designers brought in shades of brand greens and a shade of red that’s a little brighter than <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-red-cups-2015/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the shade Starbucks may be famous for</a> to give it an extra pop.

The team landed on the following four different cup designs, the same number as the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2017/20-years-of-starbucks-holiday-cups/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first holiday cup collection in 1997</a>. They come to life in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzKnihENj4&amp;feature=youtu.be" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzKnihENj4&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">series of</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLJQZOyy_WA&amp;feature=youtu.be" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLJQZOyy_WA&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">holiday ads</a>, each with a feeling all its own. (“Everyone has their favourite,” he says.)

Sparkle: This red cup has vintage vibes, with cutout shapes in green like glittering holiday ornaments. The motif is repeated in a snowy white on Starbucks® cold beverage cups.

Dot: Stripes swirl around a field of Starbucks <a href="https://creative.starbucks.com/color/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">house green</a> punctuated by playful polka dots.

Brand Wrap: This modern, scaled-up version of the ribbon design features bold bands of holiday colour and the Starbucks wordmark, designer street style.

Ribbon: This design brings forward all the joyful elements of the holiday season in ribbons of brand greens and a jolly red like a cozy holiday sweater. Look closely and you’ll see the Siren’s crown, tail, and scales.

Holiday food &amp; gifts

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/comfort-and-joy-starbucks-canada-brings-back-holiday-favourites/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/comfort-and-joy-starbucks-canada-brings-back-holiday-favourites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Festive holiday food items</a>&nbsp;are also returning this holiday including the Cranberry Bliss® Bar and Snowman Cookie. Starbucks® Christmas Blend&nbsp;whole bean coffee is also making its annual return along with Starbucks® Christmas Blend Espresso Roast, Starbucks® Holiday Blend and Starbucks Reserve™® Christmas 2020 (in select stores). Or fill your stockings with a colourful <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-previews-must-have-gifts-for-2020-holiday-season/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/starbucks-previews-must-have-gifts-for-2020-holiday-season/" target="_blank">collection of gifts</a>, including cold cups, tumblers and Starbucks Cards, with more merchandise added throughout the season.

Safely enjoying the holidays

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.ca/rewards/mobile-apps" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks® App</a> is the best way for customers to find a Starbucks location, check store hours, order ahead and use contactless payment. At select locations where social distancing can be accommodated, customers can place an order in the café and take it to-go, or they can use the order ahead and pay feature in the Starbucks App and pick it up at the counter. There will be a limited number of customers inside at one time, floor markers and signage will promote social distancing, and plexi-shields will be at the POS and handoff areas as an added barrier of protection. And, in select locations, the seating area will not be open.&nbsp;

Customers can also order at the drive thru, use curbside pickup through the Starbucks App (at participating stores) or enjoy their favourites without leaving home through <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ubereats.com/ca/brand/starbucks/?utm_source=starbucks_can&amp;utm_medium=brandpage&amp;utm_content=PAowned" target="_blank">Starbucks® Delivers</a> powered by Uber Eats (check the Uber Eats app for availability and restrictions). For a more in-depth guide on how to safely enjoy Starbucks® holiday menu, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/celebrating-the-holidays-at-starbucks-canada/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en/stories/2020/celebrating-the-holidays-at-starbucks-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">click here</a>.&nbsp;

The holidays arrive at Starbucks stores in Canada tomorrow with a flurry of seasonal favourites, including Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte, Caramel Brûlé Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Irish Cream Cold Brew and Canadian exclusive Irish Cream Americano, alongside new holiday cups, food items, and gifts.

The Holiday Season at Starbucks Starts on Nov. 6

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