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Marshmallow Peeps Fun Facts

Peeps are back!

The great American Easter tradition can now be found on store shelves across the country. Get 'em while they're still bright, soft and marshmallowy - or allow us to suggest that you air dry them for that just-right crunchy Peeps goodness.

DID YOU KNOW? Peeps fun facts

• When Peeps first appeared in 1953, it took hours to create one Peep Marshmallow Chick. They were squeezed from a pastry tube and eyes were painted on by hand! Today, thanks to space-age technology thousands are produced every minute.

• The Peep factory in Bethlehem, PA makes more than 1 billion Peeps a year, or 4 million Peeps a day. (Bonus Fact: The same company manufactures Peanut Chews, Hot Tamales, and Mike & Ike candies.)

• More than 600 million Peeps are consumed during the Easter holiday, making them one America's favorite candies at Easter. They even outsell jelly beans.

• In the Internet age, Americans' fascination with Peeps have reached new levels of manic attention on the web to become the subject of classical art parodies, science experiments (put a Peep in a microwave and see what happens!) as well as YouTube tributes.

Inviting the Peeps Over For Thanksgiving (with apologies to Norman Rockwell.)

More about Peeps around the Web:

Around the Web, check out more fun facts and information at sites offering a sweet look at one of the nation's favorite Easter traditions along with related tributes to gelatin, corn syrup & yellow dye #5 ....

Peeps - Everything you always wanted to know, from Wikipeepia.

Marshmallow Peeps - Those resilient little birds... - Peeps under the microscope, or "Learning more about the world around us through the miracles of science, technology, and preservatives."

Peep Research - A study of small fluffy creatures and library usage - The tables are turned with the discovery that Peeps themselves actually do research.

PeepHenge - Yes, the ancients knew of such things.