Here is our back deck at approx. 12:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day ... our first measureable snow. Luckily it was a wet snow, and although at 8:30 a.m., there is still snow on the ground, it's not on the roads here. Good news, since Kaine decided to sleep in (he works nights and has odd sleeping hours compared to what we are used to), and he will be on his way home soon... (prayers for safe travel and no speeding tickets!)
Making a wish... getting the longest part of the wishbone...
So, here is our wishbone from our Thanksgiving turkey... I googled some info on how the breaking of the wishbone tradition came about, and found this... interesting stuff!
Apparently the origins of the Thanksgiving tradition of breaking the wishbone date back to 2,400 years ago with the Etruscans who lived on the Italian peninsula.
The Etruscans believed fowl were fortune tellers because the hen announced she would be laying an egg with a squawk and the rooster told of the coming of a new day with his early morning crowing. A circle was drawn in the dirt and divided into twenty wedges that represented the twenty letters in the Etruscan alphabet. A piece of grain would be placed in each wedge. A hen would then be allowed to peck at the grain. As she ate, a scribe would list the letters in order and those letters would be interpreted by the high priests to answer questions.
When one of these chickens was killed, its collarbone was considered sacred and left under the hot sun to dry. Anyone was permitted to stroke an unbroken bone and make a wish, thus, the name wishbone. The Romans took many of the Etruscan customs as their own and since everyone wanted good fortune, they fought over the bones, breaking them.
It is said that the phrases “I need a lucky break” or “I never get a break” come from being the loser in this tug of chicken bone contest.
The English heard of this superstition from the Romans and called their wishbones merrythoughts after the merry or happy wishes that most people desired. When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in the New World, they brought along the custom of breaking the wishbone. When they discovered the northeastern woods of North America were filled with turkeys, they changed their custom from the chicken bone to the turkey bone.
We used to dry out our wishbone, when I was a kid, and not get to make the wish for several days after Thanksgiving... when my kids were little, they would just break the wish bone right away hoping for a granted wish. *L*
What I wish for this Thanksgiving, whether I get to break the wishbone or not, is for Peace... Love...Forgiveness...Safety... Good results for John's upcoming surgery .... Loving Christian spouses for my kids - I've prayed this prayer for my children from the day they were born, (we been blessed so far having that happen with one of our kids!)... and I give THANKS for all the many blessings we have already... with LOVE in Christ Jesus...I wish for ALL a blessed Thanksgiving.
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