Starbucks' Upcoming Holiday Cup May Have Been Leaked Online

The new design appears to feature holly... or is it a coffee shrub?

As the calendar turns the page from October to November, the Pumpkin Spice Latte gives way to the Peppermint Mocha. Other seasonal favorites also return to Starbucks, including Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Brulée Latte and Eggnog Latte.

But it’s not just what’s in the cup that changes. Every November, the Starbucks cup itself undergoes a makeover, and this year, it looks like it will transform twice.

Later this month, Starbucks will make its annual switch to a red cup for the holidays, which features a different design each year. Numerous employees have already shared images on social media of the boxes containing seasonal cups arriving in stores, each sealed and marked “NO PEEKING until November 10.”

Well, someone apparently peeked. Here it is, posted on Imgur by redditor DasUberSquid:

I’m the designated rebel in our kiosk,” DasUberSquid wrote.

Starbucks has not yet confirmed if this will be the 2016 holiday design.

Last year’s cups featured a seasonal shade of cranberry with no images of any kind. While many people enjoyed the minimalist approach, the cups also came under fire by the religious right who accused the company of abandoning Christmas.

This year’s alleged design features what appears to be a bird sitting in holly, something that could be considered a reference to Christmas. But is it really holly?

Several redditors seemed to believe that the plant was a coffee shrub because the leaves were more rounded. Since some types of holly also have rounded leaves, it would be hard to say exactly what the image revealed.

The only one who could answer that is Starbucks, and the company is keeping mum for the moment.

“Our holiday plans are still under wraps,” a Starbucks spokesperson said.

However, before the company makes the switch to red, it will go green. Starting today, Starbucks will switch to an emerald design featuring a mosaic of more than 100 people drawn in a single stroke by artist Shogo Ota:

The new Starbucks coffee cup.
Starbucks
The new Starbucks coffee cup.

“The green cup and the design represent the connections Starbucks has as a community with its partners (employees) and customers,” Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO, said in a news release. “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.”

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include comment from Starbucks.

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