--- title: Starbucks: Holiday 2016 Season Green Cup Meaning description: Starbucks is kicking off the holiday season with a never-before-seen green cup. canonical: https://time.com/4552565/starbucks-holiday-green-cup/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-01T07:01:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:37.816Z og:title: Starbucks Kicks Off Holiday Season With New Green Cup og:description: Featuring a design symbolizing unity og:url: https://time.com/4552565/starbucks-holiday-green-cup/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt46f78b3853b6998a/6988ac56196cf410b703dc7c/starbucks-green-cup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5513 og:image:height: 3101 og:image:alt: starbucks-green-cup og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Starbucks Kicks Off Holiday Season With New Green Cup twitter:description: Featuring a design symbolizing unity twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt46f78b3853b6998a/6988ac56196cf410b703dc7c/starbucks-green-cup.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Starbucks Kicks Off Holiday Season With New Meaningful Green Cup > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: TIME Raw: Donald Trump Suggests Starbucks Boycott [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Donald Trump Suggests Starbucks Boycott](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2DwTaWSv.m3u8) (0:19)  _Published 2015-11-10. TIME Raw: Donald Trump Suggests Starbucks Boycott_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 1, 2016 7:01 AM UTC  Starbucks  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 1, 2016 7:01 AM UTC Although the design of [Starbucks’](http://time.com/4290598/starbucks-rewards-program/) new [holiday red cups](http://time.com/4109109/starbucks-cup-itsjustacup/) reportedly [leaked online](http://people.com/food/starbucks-holiday-red-cup-2016-design-leaked/) Monday, the coffee giant is actually kicking the festive season off with a never-before-seen green cup. Starting Nov. 1, customers in the U.S. will be able to purchase their favorite [winter seasonals](http://time.com/beer-guide/) — including the famed Peppermint Mocha — in a green cup featuring a “mosaic of more than a hundred people drawn in one continuous stroke,” according to a company press release. Created by artist Shogo Ota, the artwork is meant to symbolize shared human connection. “The green cup and the design represent the connections Starbucks has as a community with its partners (employees) and customers,” said chairman and CEO Howard Schultz. “During a divisive time in our country, Starbucks wanted to create a symbol of unity as a reminder of our shared values, and the need to be good to each other.” ## Transcript No more Merry Christmas on Starbucks, no more. [ NOISE ] I wouldn't buy. Hey look, I'm speaking against myself. I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don't know. 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