NEW YORK -- Last week, Dunkin' Donuts did what it always does this time of year -- started using a festive holiday cup with the word "Joy."
But that didn't stop social media users from reading meaning into the move and comparing the Dunkin' cup to Starbucks' holiday cup.
Users praised the design and lauded Dunkin' Donuts for embracing Christmas and the holidays.
They said Dunkin' did "what Starbucks should have done" -- reigniting the Great Starbucks Holiday Cup Controversy of 2015.
On November 1, Starbucks debuted a plain red cup that had no mention of the holidays or Christmas. Its simple design incited some customers to accuse Starbucks of dissing Christmas.
Starbucks removed the season's "symbols" like ornaments and snowflakes, saying it favored a simpler model.
VP Jeffrey Fields said Starbucks "wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories."
Dunkin' explained the cup's design in a statement to CNNMoney: "For many years Dunkin' Donuts has served coffee in festive cups featuring the word 'joy' as part of our annual celebration of the season and holiday offerings."
Dunkin' means to reflect the "happiness and spirit of the holiday season in a way that resonates with our guests."
