The History of Easter Candy 261
tanagra writes "The days are longer, the sun is brighter, the colors are rich, and the candies are pastel. It's springtime once again, and in celebration of its triumphant return we enter into the saccharin sanctity of a world filled with Marshmallow Peeps, Jelly Beans, and other well packaged bits of sweetness sure to bring about a sugar-induced coma. Join us as we delve into the delectable not-so-distant past of Easter candy and learn, among other things, just how Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world."
Easter Candy! Hooray! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Easter Candy! Hooray! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Easter Candy! Hooray! (Score:2)
Re:Easter Candy! Hooray! (Score:2)
I for one... (Score:2, Funny)
Cadbury Eggs - my secret master (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cadbury Eggs - my secret master (Score:2, Informative)
I actually called Cadbury (Score:2)
Re:Cadbury Eggs - my secret master (Score:2)
All started by one known rabbit (Score:5, Funny)
Ummmmm (Score:5, Funny)
I knew my childhood was missing something...
But throwing up peeps?
Where'd the bunny come from? (Score:3, Interesting)
Fertility symbols. (Score:3, Informative)
Even the name of the "Easter".
Re:Fertility symbols. (Score:2, Funny)
Also when cooked, all are tasty... (slurp!)
Re:Fertility symbols. (Score:3, Funny)
Must be English -- boiled the whole lot together, right?
Re:Where'd the bunny come from? (Score:2)
Pagan fertility festival.
What I don't get is the bit about crosses being symbolic of the quarters of the moon. Indeed, several online sources including Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] and Christian Churches of God [logon.org] indicate that the cross was used in connection with Sun worship.
Easter == Ishtar (Score:3, Informative)
Probably the most popular etymology of 'Easter' concerns the Babylonian fertility goddess Ishtar, whose resurrection coincides with the coming of spring.
The Anglos are weird. (Score:2)
Re:Where'd the bunny come from? (Score:2)
Re:Where'd the bunny come from? (Score:3, Funny)
Concerning the eggs, it is widely accepted that Astaire liked his sacrifices scrambled, with a side-order of bacon.
I'm more concerned with... (Score:2)
What Slashdot doesn't want you to know (Score:2, Funny)
Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2, Insightful)
Not quite. Nothing symbolizes Easter quite like the empty tomb of Christ.
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:3, Insightful)
I think I feel a song coming on!
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:3, Interesting)
(to the tune of the US Marine Corps song)
From the emtpy womb of Mary, to the empty tomb of Christ
We will celebrate the holidays, With cakes and cookies iced
Books will tell tales of the savior, 'twill be hard to tell what's true
We'll take all the pagan holidays, and tell the Christians, "they're for you"
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Yes, many secular celebrations of Easter now have pagan roots.
But the holiday is the highest holy day for christians. It is the day when our lord was risen from the dead. The day is not tied to the start of spring, and is the one holiday that's date is quite assured of. Or is Passover just another pagan holiday transformed too?
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
I know that you won't see it this way, since you probably consider the differences between paganism and christianity as significant, whereas areligious people such as myself tend to just see "religious people" arguing over insignificant de
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
You know, if Christians are really coming into your house (or place of worship) and interfering with your holiday rituals, you can probably call the police for trespassing.
Oh wait, they're not? They don't actually give a shit what you celebrate as long as you let them celebrate their holiday? Oh. Then shut the hell up. Why do
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
Re:Nothing represents Easter like ... (Score:2)
However, to be specific, Christ's empty tomb does not symbolize Passover/"Easter." Christ was crucified at the onset of Passover (or what has come into the New Testament as "Easter"). Therefore, the crucifix should be the symbol of "Easter."
The empty tomb of Christ came three days late
Days are longer.. (Score:2)
Another piece of nonsense (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Another piece of nonsense (Score:2)
At least as far as I know, neither the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus raped any children...
Easter without candy (Score:2)
Something tells me, this candy business is made up to keep the kids off adult's back while they prey. Only if we can integrate candy and the Martin Luther King Jr. day.. somehow....
Re:Easter without candy (Score:2)
So, you're saying that these holidays and the candy associated with them have their roots when man was a hunter/gatherer?
Well, at least the Easter Egg Hunt makes more sense now.
Re:Easter without candy (Score:5, Funny)
I have a Dreamsicle?
Re:Easter without candy (Score:2)
Re:Easter without candy (Score:2, Informative)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gDzdi6-Rd5k&search=hav
Marshmallow peeps nutritional value secret (Score:5, Funny)
I vowed from that time forward never to touch a product which violates all known laws of physics...
Re:Marshmallow peeps nutritional value secret (Score:2, Informative)
36g (but it is a close thing
btw for our unelightened viewers peeps are shaped like chicks (whom go peep when real)
and are made of this stuff (marshmellow) that is 99% puffed sugar. Diabetic folks could almost go into hyperglicemic shock just looking at them.
Re:Marshmallow peeps nutritional value secret (Score:2)
WTF? The days are getting shorter (Score:3, Funny)
Easter is not in spring... (Score:2, Informative)
Easter is in April and Christmas is in December.
Spring may in April, but that's only on the Northern Hemisphere. Down on the other side of the world, Autumn starts in April and Christmas is during high summer! Down here we lay on the beach and tan on Christmas day.
--deckert
Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:4, Funny)
It begins...
Re:Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:3, Funny)
My local grocery stores are carrying Plague Finger Puppets this year. One for every plague - there's a little dead baby for the Firstborn plage, a locust, a frog, one covered in boils... Somehow, I don't think they'll sell as well as Peeps. I wonder if Peeps are Passover Kosher. Is corn syrup allowed for Passover?
Re:Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:2)
Re:Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:2)
Next in the series (Score:2)
Re:Next in the series (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Easter Candy is Why Christianity is Popular (Score:2)
Peeps, smoking and alcohol (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.peepresearch.org/smoking.html [peepresearch.org]
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Informative)
As an European, neither had I. Sweet Wikipedia to the rescue [wikipedia.org]!
I like this part: The messy and largely self-entertaining game, "Peep Jousting" is played with a microwave. One takes two Peeps, and licks the right-hand side of each until sticky. A toothpick is thereby adhered to each Peep, pointing forward like a jousting lance. The Peeps are then set in a microwave, squared off against one another, and heated up. As they expand, the toothpick lances thrust toward each opponent, and the winner is the one that does not pop and deflate.
Candy Hacking (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
Peep Jousting: Revisited. (Score:3, Funny)
Peeps; re: Re:Huh? (Score:5, Interesting)
Because this is so high, I'll add it here:
Peeps are extruded marshmallow cover with all sorts of color material. They're quite pliable.
The Chicago Tribune had an article interviewing the president/CEO and said it's been determined Peeps have a three-year shelf life. (the pres offered the interviewer one and he passed it up.
I would liken this to be like the breakfast cereals which claim to be "part of this nutritional breakfast" and it's okay until they add the extra stuff which would already covers the necessary quanties.
Here's the Official Peeps [marshmallowpeeps.com] web site.
Whatever they have in them, they have the bare minimum to qualify as food, just like ventored honey buns. It's like White Castle. (You can find a White Castle franchise when the bars have closed - just look for a list of cars of thirty or more. If somoeone sold White Castle & booze in the same location....
Re:Peeps; re: Re:Huh? (Score:2, Funny)
the store would have to install 10x as many toilets.
Re:Peeps; re: Re:Huh? (Score:3, Funny)
If someone sold White Castle & booze in the same location....
Apparently you've never been to Brooklyn.
--Triv
Products of their environment (Score:2, Insightful)
I've seen them on TV.
See, this is like when people in the states say "World series", they mean "United states of America series", or when they elect the "leader of the free world", they really mean "the leader of the United states of America".
When a magazine decides to publish a collection of the prettiest people in hollywood, they call them the most beautifull people in the world.
Or when they say "America" and they exclude two thirds of Nor
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
Don't blame us for our overzealous media that considers itself patriotic. Anyone with half a brain knows it's a bunch of bull. At least "leader of the free world", seeing that "World Series" is tne official title, even though it only pertains to America.
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
Well, world series of baseball... it's not like there's so much baseball played elsewhere I suppose. But the free world thing, that's just awefull.
Don't blame us for our overzealous media
Yeah, damn media.
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
World Series (Score:2, Informative)
I've used this argument before about the World Series pointing to an attitude of the USA , but unfortunately it's not really true.
The World Series is so named because it was originally sponsored by a New York newspaper called ... The World! It doesn't change anyone's philosophy but now I can't use it to make fun of my United Statesian friends , more's the pity.
Re:World Series (Score:4, Informative)
Sigh...
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
Yeah, and why is it the "Miss Universe" pageant when only girls from Earth participate. And why are they called "World Wars" when Switzerland doesn't play and why.... ZZzzzzz....
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
Because the world needs a clean, tidy place to have a time out and to keep their money safe while it blows itself up.
Re:Products of their environment (Score:3, Insightful)
What's even more amazing than a U.S.-limited view is when such a large portion of The F'ing Article itself is dedicated to explaining what- and where- Peeps came from, but you'd rather polemicize.
Re:Products of their environment (Score:2)
Cold War ended nearly two decades ago. I don't see the term "leader of the free world" in usage much anymore. It's nice to know that you are old enough to reme
I'll take "Beatles lyrics", Alex... (Score:2)
Hmmm, no, I don't think a world leader is on the same level as junk food.
Then again, he's dead, so he's getting less significant by the day, even if his legacy lives on.
Re:Huh? (Score:2)
I didn't click on it, rather have jellybeans. [candyusa.org]
Peeps rule over the Illuminati? (Score:2)
Well, even they answer to the almighty Marshmellow Peeps.
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2)
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh right, because he probably really did mean that marshmallow birds are actually ruling the United States, but he was so narrow-minded he thought that was the whole world.
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2, Funny)
Could that be another Duhmerican confusing his country with "the world"?
Peeps rule America. America rules the world. Ergo, peeps rule the world. Sheesh! We have to explain everything to you people.
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2, Informative)
I doubt that many Australians have ever tasted Foster's, and if you ask for it at an Australian pub they will just assume you are a tourist.
The beers most average Australians drink are VB, Tooheys (in NSW), XXXX (in Queensland), and various other beers that vary from state to state.
Fosters: it's Australian for "tourists will drink any old piss!".
Oh, and we have marshmallows here. I've never heard of "marshm
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2)
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2)
GP is trollish and flame-ish, but you also missed the point. He's referring to the part where the blurb says "and learn, among other things, just how Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world."
To be frank and international with you, marshmellows outside of North America rule Jack and shit... And Jack left town...
(Bruce Campbell [imdb.com], instead, rules everywhere, period.)
GP left out a word - 'Peeps' (Score:2)
However, and this is the big one: what about marshmellow peeps?
I know of them because my gf sent some to me for easter two years ago. They're tiny yellow (sometimes pink, I'm sure they come in blue too) sugar-coated marshmellow-ish things that vaguely resemble a 'peep'; or chick (the hatchling chicken/rooster kind).
Re:GP left out a word - 'Peeps' (Score:2)
Germany isn't exactly known for our international candy stores. Besides, everybody knows that Easter is all about Blätterkrokant. By the way, I was surprised to find no English translation as clearly Blätterkrokant is the One True Easter Food that rules, nay, owns the world. Marshmellow *s are just an US American fad.
Re:GP left out a word - 'Peeps' (Score:2)
btw, 'Blätterkrokant' - unless images.google.com isn't exactly giving correct results, is a year-round thing here in The Netherlands. Commonly referred to as plain 'bonbons', even though I'm not sure that's what they are
Typical Dutch easter candy is just chocolate eggs wrapped in colorful foils, lots of nuts, special easter bread (thicker dough, and often baked in the shape of a hare (no ide
Re:GP left out a word - 'Peeps' (Score:2)
Well, we have Blätterkrokant (which is very much Easter-related over here), filled wafer eggs, filled chocolade eggs (usually with something nut-related)... Nut-related stuff in general (mostly almond and hazelnut). And, for the children, egg-s
Re:Marshmallow Peeps came to rule the world? (Score:2)
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
So what was the point of your link? To say that (a) ingrained, unthinking nationalistic xenobobia is a good thing because it makes you feel big; (b) you find geographic ignorance in an internationally accessable forum laudable because the US education system isn't enough of a
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
The mission is to annoy the French. If you are, in fact, French - then mission accomplished. If not... close enough.
Seriously though, I would think the vast majority of Slashdot readers do, in fact, know that "the world" expands beyond the borders of the US. Even if they are US citizens. Having said that, the idea of Peeps conquering the world is pure hyperbole. I'm not so sure Peeps have conquered anything... mu
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
As for it being a "rant", the figures I
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
You'll note that I did not reply to yo
Re:World wide web (Score:2)
Re:Rule the world ?!? (Score:2)
Re:Rule the world ?!? (Score:2)
The rest of the world must have lost its sense of taste, if they eat something that sounds that nasty.
Chocolate eggs. (Score:2)
The chocolate eggs are laid by special, genetically modified Easter bunnies.
You just don't want to see the ones which produce the Cadbury's Creame Eggs though... one phrase... "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch." Nasty creatures!
(nb. Bunnies were called cunnies/connies before the Victorians changed their name 'cos they sounded too much like the slang term for something else.)
Re:History of Easter Candy (Score:2)
Re:Leave your geek card at the door. (Score:2)
But there is nobody living there! Think about it, people there would be upside down, and they would fall off, anyway.