In a common American Thanksgiving tradition, the wishbone is pulled apart to decide who gets a wish.
The wishbone is the furcula, a fork-shaped bone formed by the fusion of a bird’s two clavicles. After a turkey is cooked, the bone is removed and allowed to dry. Two people then hook their little fingers or pull opposite ends until it breaks. The person holding the larger piece is traditionally said to have their wish granted.
The practice is not exclusively American, and similar wishbone customs exist in Britain and other English-speaking regions. It is often associated with Thanksgiving because turkey is central to the holiday meal in the United States.
The tradition is sometimes described as a superstition, although many families treat it simply as a playful ritual. The bone’s forked shape makes it especially suitable for a two-person contest, but the outcome is determined by the bone’s structure and the force applied.