Some holiday traditions make sense, such as decorating a tree on Christmas or passing out heart-shaped candy on Valentine's Day. Others — not so much.
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Uncovering the history behind why we do such weird things — such as leave out freshly baked cookies for a mythical white-bearded man (sorry kids) or dress up in spooky costumes to wander the streets — is always illuminating. The origin story of the Thanksgiving wishbone is no different, and it's one of the most enduring Thanksgiving traditions families partake in year after year.
For those who are unfamiliar with the tradition, allow me to paint you a picture. Two people (usually little ones, but whimsical adults are welcome to participate) take hold of each side of a wishbone and make a wish. Then, they pull it apart until it snaps. Whoever is left holding the larger side of the wishbone will have their wish granted before they head off to some Thanksgiving activities with loved ones.
Fun, right?
As far as tradition goes, the more bizarre it feels to do in the present day, the greater the likelihood that its history is rooted deep in the ancient past. That is absolutely the case with breaking the wishbone, as its origins date back at least 2,400 years to a time well before perfectly curated Thanksgiving tables and Black Friday chaos shopping.
So, why do we break a wishbone on Thanksgiving? Let's dive in.
What Is a Wishbone?
The wishbone, or the furcula, is actually a part of a bird's skeletal structure. It's located right near the breast and is actually the fusion of two separate clavicles that help the bird flap its wings. Weirdly enough, the same bone formation was also found in some dinosaurs.
Bill Nolan, a supervisor of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, told Reader's Digest that it's best to find and remove the bird's wishbone just before you start cooking. Here's how he says you can locate it:
- Place the raw turkey with the breast side up on a clean surface, such as a cutting board. Make sure the legs are at the bottom and they're pointing at you.
- Take a paring knife and cut away some of the skin near the top of the breast, right between the two halves.
- Take your hand (making sure, of course, that it's been washed) and feel down into the meat until you find the wishbone.
- Once you've located the wishbone, use your paring knife to cut around the bone on each side and at the top.
- Then gently pull it out of the turkey — being careful not to break it before any wishes are made.
By taking care of this little chore before the bird is cooked, Nolan says, you'll both save the hassle of handling a hot turkey and be able to slice your meat into larger pieces. Plus, you want to give the wishbone as much time to dry out as possible, otherwise, you won't get that signature — and satisfying — snap.
Why Do We Break a Wishbone on Thanksgiving?
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The breaking of the wishbone predates most of the modern traditions we partake in today. It even predates the first Thanksgiving.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the tradition's roots started over 2,400 years ago within an ancient Italian civilization called Etruria. Apparently, Etruscans were prone to saving their chickens' furcula and letting them dry out in the sun because they believed the birds possessed a sacred power. So they wouldn't break the bones but would instead stroke them while making a wish.
Loving the concept of magical birds and bones, the ancient Romans adopted the custom. But there was just one problem — there weren't enough wish-granting bones to go around.
Because of the lack of supply, the custom evolved into two people breaking the bone while making a wish. Whoever came away with the largest piece was granted their heart's desire. If both sides were equally sized, both wishes were granted.
Soon, the wishbone hype spread around Europe and to the English, who dubbed the custom "merrythought." When the first settlers came to Plymouth, Massachusetts, they brought their familiar customs along and, eventually, it became the Thanksgiving tradition we know and love today.
How Do You Win at Breaking the Turkey Wishbone?
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While wishbone purists will want you to believe that breaking the furcula is a simple game of luck, as it turns out, there is some strategy to it.
In 2017, two University of Michigan biomedical engineers revealed three techniques that can supposedly increase the odds of coming away with the bigger piece:
- When choosing sides, pick the one with the most thickness.
- When grabbing your bone to pull, grab it closer to the center.
- When the pulling begins, let the other person do most of the work.
These strategies do feel like borderline cheating — and the engineers agree.
"There's a scale in the honesty," Barry Belmont, one of the engineers, told Inside Science. "If you want to engage in all-out subterfuge, you can try to secretly nick the other person's side of the bone with a knife. It's the most assured way of winning but also the most dishonest."
