Starbucks Celebrates The Holiday Season With Free Red Cups!

Today might be one of the most festive days of the season because Starbucks shoppers will be able to get the holiday Red Cup for free. Every year, Starbucks unveils its new holiday cup design, and this year is no different. As part of the start of the holiday season, Starbucks will allow shoppers to score one free holiday Red Cup with the purchase of any holiday beverage on Thursday.

This year, the holiday-themed reusable cups feature a festive twinkling design and are made with 75 percent recycled content, Starbucks told Newsweek. This is an increase from 50 percent recycled content in 2022. Starbucks has an array of holiday drinks on the menu this year, including chestnut praline latte, peppermint mocha, white chocolate mocha, and caramel brulée latte.

You can even opt to get the Red Cup with a fall flavor, pumpkin spice latte. For those looking to skip the caffeine, the peppermint hot chocolate and white hot chocolate are also options. All holiday drinks come either warm or iced. The free Red Cups are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so there's a chance your local store will run out. For your best chances of getting one, you should head there early and be prepared for a line.

Each Starbucks Red Cup is reusable, meaning you can reuse it at any point during the holiday season. You'll also earn 25 free stars and 10 cents off your purchase as a rewards member. Starbucks introduced its first holiday cup in 1997, and since then fans have eagerly awaited each year's new design.

Walkouts at Starbucks Stores Planned

While Starbucks' Red Cup Day is an annual event, some fans are worried that the union strikes occurring at stores across the country could upend the tradition. Around 200 stores are planning a "Red Cup Rebellion" tomorrow, according to Starbucks Workers United. "Red Cup Day (Nov. 16th) is Starbucks's biggest sales event of the season—and also one of the most infamously hard, understaffed days for the baristas that work them," Starbucks Workers United said in a press release.

In addition to the nationwide (unfair labor practices) strike on the 16th, we're also asking customers and allies to lead actions at Starbucks stores in their communities in solidarity with workers rising up for a fairer workplace, the release said. Starbucks has said the strike is likely to affect a "small subset" of U.S. stores, but the chain could be negatively impacted on one of its busiest days of the year.

Starbucks has also announced it will be increasing hourly wages and benefits for the majority of U.S. workers, starting in January. For hourly workers, this likely means a 3 percent pay increase. Those who have been at the company for five years or more could see a 5 percent raise or more.

More Holiday Favorites

Starbucks isn't the only chain that is taking advantage of the holiday season with festive new flavors. Dunkin' is reintroducing its winter menu lineup, which includes favorites like the peppermint mocha signature latte and toasted white chocolate signature latte. Each features warm mocha, along with peppermint or white chocolate, topped with whipped cream, and either cocoa or cinnamon sugar spice.

The new spiced cookie coffee also made its debut this year, and each drink includes a mix of brown sugar cookie syrup, a vanilla flavor shot, and oat milk. These seasonal beverages are sure to warm you up during the chilly holiday months.