To some, they are the essence of Easter, born in a place called Bethlehem no less, and celebrated in art, craft, song and ode. To others, they are the Rodney Dangerfields of food, suitable grist for Internet parodies, macabre recipes and mad science experiments.

They are Peeps, the chick- and bunny-shaped marshmallow treats that have become, like it or not, one of America's best loved harbingers of the season. (True believers like to call it Peep Season, which starts about Feb. 25, when the chicks first appear in stores.) Fifty years after the first ones were squeezed out of pastry tubes in a 26-hour-long process, 1.2 billion of them are now consumed worldwide each year.

"They're an American icon," says Washington artist David Ottogalli, whose principal media are Peeps and other vibrantly colored food products. "When blazing yellow Peeps appear on your grocer's shelves, you know it's springtime."

For more than a decade, Peeps have been the country's favorite nonchocolate Easter treat, according to Milena DeLuca, a spokeswoman for the company that makes them. Americans eat an average of 2.3 Peeps apiece each spring.

Just Born Inc., which marked its 50th anniversary of making Peeps last year, produces 4.1 million a day at its plant in Bethlehem, Pa. The company has expanded the Peeps universe to other holidays, creating Peeps-like marshmallow hearts for Valentines Day.

So what is it about Peeps? Why do they inspire such passion, both negative and positive?

Ottogalli believes their popularity stems from their protean simplicity. They are so basic, so blank, so formless that people adapt them to all sort of uses, he says.

"Peeps are popular because of their form, color, texture and tastiness," says Ottogalli. "Not to mention their versatility; you can eat them, smoosh them, melt them, freeze them ... even spray-paint them."

Certainly Peeps are eaten in a variety of ways: fresh, stale, warm, microwaved, frozen, fricasseed, roasted and sometimes even as a pizza topping, says DeLuca. Many fans say Peeps are tastiest after they have hardened for two to three weeks. Others find them most satisfying when they bite their heads off first.

Peeps have long since transcended their status as food product. A national fan club and more than 90 Web sites are dedicated to Peepology, including the official Peeps site, www.marshmallowpeeps.com, which offers Peeps souvenirs, history, recipes and craft ideas.

Ottogalli's Web site, www.peepsshow.com, includes an extensive gallery of his multimedia Peep art and sculpture, the most impressive of which has to be an eight-foot-tall shrine constructed of 5,053 chicks.

Other sites feature a "Lord of the Rings" parody, "Lord of the Peeps"; Peeps lyrics set to the music of the Monkees; a "Peeps from hell" photo gallery; entrees for the Peeps Challenge, in which participants write stories that feature Peeps interacting with "X-Files" characters; Peeps karaoke and pornography.

The newest Peeps craze is Peeps jousting, according to DeLuca. To see two Peeps joust, insert a toothpick into the chest of each, place them 1 1/2 toothpicks apart in a microwave, and nuke them for about 10 seconds.