I call it a wishbone, but its correct name is furcula, which means "little fork" in Latin. Ordinarily, you think of it as a chicken or turkey bone that two people pull on in a kind of tug-of-war while each makes a wish, and is associated with Thanksgiving. 

Because the furcula is actually strong and flexible, the wishbone is often saved until it dries out before it is a good wishing bone. When the bone is pulled, the person who gets the biggest portion of the broken wishbone is supposed to have their wish come true. Even though people know this is silly, they still do it.

Some kinds of dinosaurs also had furculas, but what difference does it make if there were no men who walked the earth with the dinosaurs?

There are quite a few formula beliefs or superstitions that guarantee a wish coming true, one of which is 'wishing on a star'. There is also the magic lantern and genie (jinn) which can make sure your wishes or dreams come true. As we know from The Micky Mouse Club, "A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep." Usually, the wish must be kept secret or it will not come true. This comes in handy when it doesn't come true and avoids embarrassment for wanting a hot car you can't afford or a date with Elvis.

Often, an unexpected success is called a lucky break. Get it?

This type of lucky-charm belief is so old that it probably predates history. Many historians think belief in the power of the wishbone comes from the times of the Romans and Etruscans. Finding a four leaf clover is considered a portent of good luck because it is rare, as is a date with Elvis.

There was once a time when any change in a person's status was so unlikely that it would take a real miracle to make it happen. An old belief in unchangeable fate caused people to appeal to the gods who decreed their fate to change it, however unlikely. Man can go to the moon, but the Hindu caste system still exists like cast iron.