# Why Do We Wish on the Turkey’s Wishbone?



## Meanderer (Nov 24, 2014)

Although Thanksgiving is a North American holiday and a recent invention in the grand scheme of things, the tradition of breaking the wishbone comes from Europe, and is thousands of years older.  A bird’s wishbone is technically known as the furcula. It’s formed by the fusion of two clavicles, and is important to flight because of its elasticity and the tendons that attach to it. 


http://mentalfloss.com/article/31579/why-do-we-wish-turkey’s-wishbone


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## RadishRose (Nov 24, 2014)

I was going to say- cuz it's a WISH bone,   but after reading the article, I am amazed that we are still doing it!

When my grandson was little, we called him "Wishbone" after that cute TV show about a dog of the same name that he was crazy about. Sometimes I'd dry out and save a chicken wishbone and attach it to a wrapped gift for him.


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## Just plain me (Nov 24, 2014)

Interesting! We always did it and passed it on to our kids! I don't know if they passed it on to their Children. But to us it was always the Chicken's wishbone!


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## drifter (Nov 24, 2014)

We did it and the young person that got the big side would be the next to marry.


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## Meanderer (Nov 25, 2014)

RadishRose said:


> I was going to say- cuz it's a WISH bone,   but after reading the article, I am amazed that we are still doing it!
> 
> When my grandson was little, we called him "Wishbone" after that cute TV show about a dog of the same name that he was crazy about. Sometimes I'd dry out and save a chicken wishbone and attach it to a wrapped gift for him.



If you let it dry out too much, it will shatter!


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## Meanderer (Nov 25, 2014)

Just plain me said:


> Interesting! We always did it and passed it on to our kids! I don't know if they passed it on to their Children. But to us it was always the Chicken's wishbone!


I like the expression in the aticle that the chicken is a "walking Ouija board"!


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## Falcon (Nov 25, 2014)

Interesting Jim.  Thanks.


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