Starbucks not to blame for ‘War on Christmas’

Expectation of celebration harms holiday’s importance

Raphy Gendler

A guy in a Christmas sweater complete with reindeers, snowflakes and trees, walks into a Starbucks.

He orders a venti peppermint mocha, with extra religious dominance, two shots of consumerism, no whip. The barista collects his $4.99, and wishes him a friendly “Merry Christmas.”

There’s no war on the fake, popularized, consumerist and modernized Christmas. Enjoying a latte in a red cup does not equate to an attack on religion.

As most Twitter users know, Starbucks came under fire for its new holiday cups because they lack snowflakes, trees or reindeer. Instead, the cup features an uber-controversial ombre and cranberry color palette.

Before Thanksgiving through the new year, people of all faiths across the country will hear “Jingle Bells” blaring in Target, see Christmas trees popping up around their neighborhoods and experience the ambiance of Christmas lights wherever they go.

They’ll even enjoy their peppermint mocha in a seasonal cup.

The real ‘War on Christmas’ takes its form in the birth of Christmas — pun intended — as a month-long American holiday.

Christmas is an opportunity for corporations to make millions on a “Christmas season” of special candy and festive decorations.

This corporate Christmas turns a religious holiday into a celebration of seasonal candy and decorations, devaluing both Christmas and other faiths.

A reason for this “war” is the insistence of people, like those offended by the Starbucks cup, that all Americans celebrate Christmas.

The few who live with the illusion of everyone celebrating Christmas, harm the holiday — the expectation of universal Christmas celebration has caused the corporate, material war on Christmas.

To say the Starbucks “controversy” either perpetuates Christian denomination or creates a war on Christmas is an extreme overreaction.

In reality, the Starbucks fiasco was one angry guy on Facebook and a few people who clicked “share.”

There exists a difficult reality for non-Christians: America has become a Christian nation.

Rather than erupt regarding senseless murders, acts of terror and daily discrimination based on religion across the world, Twitter and Facebook exploded about something that hits far closer to home: seasonal coffee.

Rather than tolerating diversity, the holiday season should focus on celebrating it, and recognizing that a red cup does not threaten religion.