Starbucks holiday cups are back: Here's what the 4 festive designs look like

For fervent fans of Starbucks, the holidays officially kick off this week with the arrival of its seasonal cups.

Beginning Thursday, customers at its US locations will have their hot drinks served in one of four festive cups that are "clad in holiday red and Starbucks greens and a mood-boosting magenta," according to a release.

Noticeably different in this year's design is the magenta accent, which "lifts the traditional holiday colors and makes the red even look brighter," said Kristy Cameron, Starbucks' creative director.

Each of the four cups has a unique name and theme. The "peppermint swirl" design is based off its peppermint mocha with "swirling waves of color that seem to move." The "party plaid" design is a modernized take on a winter plaid scarf, and the "ribbon spool" cup mimics gift wrap ribbons. Finally, the "bauble wrap" has ornament shapes that creates a "bold, mod print, wrapped around the cup at an angle as a play on gift wrap," the company explained.

Iced drink cups are also getting a new design that mixes "playful baubles" and "sparkles" with its white print on the plastic.

The annual celebration has become a tradition for the coffee chain and drums up excitement among its loyal customers. Holiday sales are important for the coffee chain: Last year, revenue grew 14% compared to a similar time period the year before, according to the company.

Starbucks first rolled out seasonal cups in 1997. The company stirred up controversy in 2015 when it removed "symbols of the season," i.e. reindeer and ornaments, and went with a simple two-toned red cup. Since then, it has added more festive flourishes, such as ornaments and mistletoe, to its cups.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the tradition. Starbucks reports earnings Thursday, perhaps providing a glimpse of what it expects this year's holiday sales to be.

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