(CNN) — This year has given us yet another trick and one less treat.
Just Born Quality Confections, the company that produces Peeps, says its holiday-themed marshmallow treats will not be in Halloween candy baskets this year — and they won’t be in stores for Christmas, either.
Halloween Peeps — which are shaped like pumpkins, ghosts and monsters — and Christmas Peeps will not return to stores until 2021. The company will skip Valentine’s Day Peeps next year as well.
The Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based company in April temporarily suspended the production of its candy brands. The suspension was done to protect the health and safety of their employees during the coronavirus pandemic, Just Born said in a statement to CNN.
The company said it resumed limited production in May after making changes in its plant to ensure employee safety.
“This situation resulted in us having to make the difficult decision to forego production of our seasonal candies for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day in order to focus on meeting the expected overwhelming demand for Peeps for next Easter season, as well as our everyday candies,” according to the company’s statement.
Chick-shaped Peeps are especially popular during Easter. Before the pandemic, about 5.5 million Peeps were produced every day, roughly 2 billion a year.
The pause in production also applies to seasonal varieties of the company’s Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike fruit candies.
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