Lucky Charms Just Retired One Of Its Iconic Marshmallow Shapes For Good

For decades, cereal lovers of all ages have been eating Lucky Charms the way the universe intended: by picking out all the marshmallows and throwing the rest away. Come spring, however, you may notice something different when you look down at your bowl. A General Mills spokesman confirmed to Bustle via email that the Lucky Charms hourglass marshmallow is going the way of the dodo bird, saying, "The hourglass has been a part of Lucky Charms since 2008, but as with any hourglass, its time is up." Lucky Charms also alluded to it on their Instagram page.

This isn't the first time one of the LC marshmallows (technically called "marbits," says General Mills) have been retired. According to People, we've had to say goodbye to quite a few: the blue diamond waved bye-bye in 1975; the purple horseshoe made its exit in 1983; the whale swam off in 1986; the red balloon peaced out in 1989; the rainbow disappeared into the sky in 1992; the pot of gold followed in 1994; and the shooting star exploded in 1998. Soon, the yellow hourglass will be making its trip to the marshmallow graveyard to join its soft and squishy friends. RIP, hourglass. You were good to us.

As for what might replace it? Lucky Charms isn't saying a peep.

Lucky Charms was born in 1964. While we're used to seeing the fun and colorful marshmallow shapes, General Mills' blog says the original prototype for the cereal — created by John Holahan — actually included pieces of his favorite candy: Circus Peanuts. You remember Spangler Circus Peanuts, right? The banana-flavored peanut-looking things? I'm talking about these guys.

Circus Peanuts may have served as excellent inspiration, but they didn't make the final cut. By the time Lucky Charms made their debut, the original 'mallows were green clovers, pink hearts, orange stars, and yellow moons, says the blog. The sweet addition to the cereal proved to be a game-changer — so much that Lucky Charms has held sweepstakes for marshmallow-only cereal, making all of our wildest fantasies come true. While the sweepstakes could certainly return in the future, generally speaking, you'll have to continue fishing the 'mallows out of your bowl. Sorry. :-\

Most of the stuff we eat undergoes makeovers through the years, and Lucky Charms is no exception. Heck, General Mills says the frosting wasn't even added to the oat pieces until 1967! Fast forward to today, and they've now got the original flavor, chocolate, and even Frosted Flakes Lucky Charms — something I just discovered on their website and now my mind is blown. They even went gluten-free, so more people can enjoy a bowl for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) without getting bloated after — because, you know, they're magically delicious and stuff. Way to cater to food sensitivities, LC.

Lucky Charms isn't the only General Mills cereal that's evolved over the years.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch has seen a number of spin-offs, including French Toast Crunch (which graced us with its presence for the first time in 1995 but was discontinued in 2006... until General Mills announced back in 2014 they were bringing it back — HECK YES), Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Strawberry Toasty Crunch, and Blueberry Toast Crunch. The "taste you can see" has been making our lives better for years.

Chex has also gone through quite the evolution. The original flavor came out in 1937, and there are eight flavors in total today, including cinnamon, chocolate, blueberry, and vanilla, per the Chex website. Plus, you can't forget all the varieties of Chex Mix and the horribly, insanely addictive Muddy Buddies. Don't get me started. I'm serious.

New flavors are created. Marshmallows come and go. Life happens. While your favorite cereals might change, you'll still recognize them as the sweet, crunchy, delicious breakfasts you used to enjoy as a child (always part of a well-balanced breakfast, obvi).

What do you think the next Lucky Charms marshmallow will be?