| History of Hockey: | | | | and Christmas trees with hockey and sports |
| | | | ornaments. Ornaments which help to convey |
| Throughout history people have played games | | | | ones love or enthusiasm for a particular |
| involving a curved stick and a ball. There | | | | theme which in this case would be the love of |
| are drawings and depictions of such events in | | | | hockey. There are a variety of sports |
| ancient Egypt, Greece and in the Middle ages | | | | ornaments and specialty nutcrackers to help |
| in Europe. There is even evidence of people | | | | beautify and accent any sports enthusiasts |
| playing hockey or stick and ball like games | | | | home. |
| on the ice in sixteenth century Europe. And | | | | |
| of course as immigrants came to the Americas, | | | | Playing the Games: |
| they brought with them many of the games that | | | | |
| they had played in their respective | | | | For a regular game of ice hockey it is of |
| countries, such as hurling and other hockey | | | | course played in an ice rink with a total of |
| like games. | | | | six players on each team, five regular |
| | | | players and one goalie. The object is to get |
| Current ice and field hockey owe much to | | | | the puck, which is made of hard rubber into |
| those ancient games. Of the two, field hockey | | | | the opposing teams goal and the team with the |
| is the forerunner and ice hockey was mainly | | | | highest score wins. The players must use |
| an altering of the game to fit colder | | | | their sticks to move the puck around or to |
| climates and such. The first organized ice | | | | pass the puck from one player to another. A |
| hockey game is recorded to have taken place | | | | team can be forced to play with only 5 |
| in Montreal, Canada at an indoor skating rink | | | | players instead of the normal 6 if a player |
| in March of 1875. It wasn't until 1904 that | | | | commits a foul and is then placed in a |
| the first professional league for ice hockey | | | | penalty box for a short time which is usually |
| was formed in Michigan, United States, called | | | | about 2 minutes long. |
| the International Professional Hockey League. | | | | |
| The league lasted all of four years, folding | | | | Field hockey is played on a rectangular field |
| in 1907. For field hockey, the first | | | | measuring about 100 yards by 60 yards, with |
| international game took place between Ireland | | | | eleven players on each team. Again the idea |
| and Wales, with a high score of 3 to 0, | | | | is the same to get the small hard ball, not a |
| Ireland winning. | | | | puck, into the other team's goal to score, to |
| | | | do this you must use your stick and teamwork. |
| In 1908 field hockey made its debut at the | | | | There is a defined semi-circle area around |
| summer Olympics, it was dropped in 1924 but | | | | each goal that is called the shooting circle |
| by the following Olympics in 1928 it was | | | | or arc. The team which has the ball is called |
| back. Ice hockey started at the winter | | | | the attackers, while the team that doesn't |
| Olympics in 1924 and has been played there | | | | have the ball is called the defenders. A game |
| since, but it wasn't until 1960 that the U.S. | | | | or match has two umpires to officiate, |
| won their first gold medal in ice hockey. | | | | usually they split up the field down the |
| | | | middle and each takes care of their half of |
| Hockey Ornaments: | | | | the field. The game has two periods each |
| | | | being 35 minutes long, with the half time |
| Many hockey fans enjoy decorating their homes | | | | break being about five minutes. |