Giving Thanks for Bronze

It’s a typical tradition for families to sit around the Thanksgiving table and announce what each individual is thankful for. I can easily think of many things that I’m so thankful for, such as my family and friends, and my wonderful job. Although these responses are typical for many people, if you considered all of the essential things made of bronze that we use so frequently in our lives, bronze might come up at the Thanksgiving dinner table more often.

Just as an example, we can pick out the many bronze items that help us celebrate Thanksgiving and kick off the holiday season.

Upon waking up on Thanksgiving morning, we are greeted with the sounds of bronze coming from the annual parade on TV. Cymbals and guitar and piano strings all come from this ubiquitous metal.

Additionally, bronze is an ideal material for electrical connectors, which are used to join electrical circuits. Electrical connectors power electronics including lamps, computers and the televisions that we use to watch the parade and, of course, Thanksgiving Day football.

Then, as we drive to our relatives’ houses in anticipation of great food and company, we may want to give thanks for bronze bearings. Bearings are components that allow heavy machinery to move heavy loads very quickly with little friction. Bearings are key elements in the steering wheel, engine and transmission of our cars.

Bearings are also essential for the function of electric ovens, which many people use to make their perfectly bronzed turkey - no pun intended. On a side note, interestingly enough, the most popular Turkey variety for most of American history is actually named the Bronze Turkey... How about that for coincidence?

Finally, many hammers, mallets, wrenches and screws are made of bronze. These tools are used for general purposes, including constructing the tables that we sit at during Thanksgiving dinner.

So, as you gather around and raise your glasses to toast, you can really surprise your family members with something they surely won’t expect you to be thankful for.