How to Find the Turkey Wishbone & Why We Make a Wish with It

Madison
57 minutes ago
2 min read

The plates are cleared, the stuffing coma has fully kicked in, and that once-proud Thanksgiving turkey has officially entered its leftover phase. But hang on—there’s still one last tradition tucked inside: the wishbone.

Yes, the tiny V-shaped bone that turns everyone at the table into a competitive child. But where exactly do you find it, and why do we treat it like a tiny fortune-granting fork from the poultry gods?

Where To Find The Wishbone

Time for a mini anatomy detour. The wishbone’s real name is the furcula—Latin for “little fork,” and honestly, it sounds like a spell in a Thanksgiving-themed Harry Potter spinoff. It sits right between the turkey’s breasts and neck, and it’s actually two fused collarbones. Most birds have one—yes, even the seagull that stole your beach sandwich.

You can grab it before or after roasting:

Remove Before Roasting

Pros: easier carving, easier to keep the bone intact. How to do it:

Turkey breast-side up, legs pointing toward you.
Carefully slice the top center of the breast skin.
Reach in and gently pull the wishbone out like you’re removing fragile treasure from a meat puzzle.

Just let the bone dry for a day or so before snapping—it breaks better that way.

Why Do We Break It?

2400 Years Ago: Italy

The Etruscans believed birds were fortune-tellers. When they cooked fowl, they saved the furcula and let it dry in the sun. Anyone needing luck could touch the bone and make a wish—no snapping required, just vibes.

Along Came The Romans

Chickens became hot-ticket dinner guests, but demand beat supply. To share the luck, people started breaking the wishbone so more than one person could benefit. Cue the first-ever good-luck tug-of-war. Romans were competitive—shocking, I know.

Then Off To England → The Pilgrims → America

The tradition followed Roman roads to Britain, then set sail with the Pilgrims to the New World. Turkeys were plentiful here, so wishbone-snapping became the official after-turkey sport of Thanksgiving.