Starbucks' iconic red cups return for the holidays, with the coffee giant giving away festive, reusable cups on Friday

• Starbucks' holiday menu and red cups return across the US on Friday.
• The coffee giant is giving away reusable holiday cups on Friday to customers who order a holiday beverage.
• "We're excited with the momentum we saw from our fall promotion," chief financial officer Pat Grismer said last week. "And so that gives us confidence that, as we move into the month of November with our holiday promotion, we will sustain the momentum."

Red cups are returning to Starbucks.

Starbucks announced that its holiday menu returns on Friday, November 6. That means drinks including the Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and Eggnog Latte are back on the menu, as well as four new festive "red cup" designs.

The chain is also giving away free reusable, collectible holiday cups on Friday to customers who order a holiday beverage. Starbucks' limited-edition seasonable merchandise, including mugs, tumblers, and festive gift cards, also go on sale on Friday.

"While the holidays may feel a bit different, there are moments of joy to be discovered with a holiday cup from Starbucks in hand," the coffee giant said in a press release.

Read more: Starbucks is making an unprecedented effort to get people to vote. Here's how the coffee giant approaches politics, from its ex-CEO's presidential aspirations to its spending on lobbying.

Starbucks has suspended its practice of refilling reusable cups, due to the pandemic. However, the coffee giant continues to offer a 10-cent discount for people who show up with a reuseable cup.

Many Americans are grasping for whatever festive celebrations they can find during the pandemic, making the red cups more relevant than ever in 2020. Katherine Cullen, the National Retail Federation's senior director of industry and consumer insights, told Business Insider that Halloween spending was up among those celebrating, as shoppers sought "a little joy in a time when people are dealing with a lot of uncertainty."

Starbucks already saw the power of its seasonal drinks with the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Sales of pumpkin-flavored drinks reached record highs in 2020, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said on a call with investors last week.

"We're excited with the momentum we saw from our fall promotion," chief financial officer Pat Grismer said. "And so that gives us confidence that, as we move into the month of November with our holiday promotion, we will sustain the momentum."