Hanukkah, winter solstice, Eddie Murphy returns to 'SNL': 5 things to know this weekend

Editors, USA TODAY

Hanukkah brightens up the holidays

Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish celebration, begins at nightfall Sunday and lasts until the evening of Monday, Dec. 30. Known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. after the Maccabean Revolt. The holiday celebrates the miracle of the temple's menorah burning for eight full days. During Hanukkah, Jews light one candle each evening on a nine-branched menorah and recite special blessings. Other Hanukkah festivities include playing the game of dreidel and serve tasty treats, many of which are fried in oil. Happy Hanukkah (and please don't call it the "Jewish Christmas")!

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Airports will be packed starting ... now

A record number of Americans have decided to venture away from home this holiday season, according to the American Automobile Association, which estimates that 115.6 million will travel by car, plane, train, bus or cruise between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. (Sadly, they didn't provide any statistics on travel by one-horse open sleigh.) The days leading up to Christmas will be busy ones at the airport, with Sunday, Dec. 22, leading the pack. AAA predicts the 21st and 23rd will follow closely behind in volume. Where is everyone going? Warmer cities make up a majority of the top destinations, AAA says.

For the holiday shopping procrastinators: It's 'Super Saturday'

Saturday, Dec. 21, is expected to be the biggest shopping day of the year beating Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The last Saturday before Christmas — known as "Super Saturday" or "Panic Saturday" — could see about 147.8 million people take advantage of sales and extended store hours, according to a National Retail Federation survey. Stores including Target, Best Buy and Apple are extending store hours as is Macy’s, which is giving the first 250 Super Saturday shoppers free $10 Macy’s rewards cards. But shoppers shouldn't expect to see the prices as low as those on Black Friday, though, consumer experts say.

Winter is (officially) here

The winter solstice — which marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere — is Saturday. In the United States, the solstice happens at 11:19 p.m. EST Saturday . Though the solstice is the astronomical beginning of winter, meteorologists view winter as starting Dec. 1, which is the start of the coldest three months in the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, although the solstice is typically not the coldest day of the year, it is the longest night of the year.

Bowl season: Give us all the football!

It's the best time of year for football fans! First, the NCAA bowl season hits full speed on Saturday (after two games Friday) and we also get a special dose of NFL with three games on Saturday before its regular full Sunday slate. It's crunch time for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, among others, during the final two-week regular season push.

Holiday must-see TV bonus: Eddie Murphy invades 'SNL'

The return we've all been waiting for has finally arrived: Eddie Murphy hosts "Saturday Night Live." After making a brief appearance on the show's 40th anniversary special in 2015, the legendary comedian will host "SNL" for the first time since December 1984. He is suddenly everywhere again bringing the laughter and earning critical acclaim for his role as real-life comedy pioneer Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix’s "Dolemite Is My Name." Lizzo, who was named Time's 2019 Entertainer of the Year, will be the show's musical guest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hanukkah, Eddie Murphy returns to 'SNL': 5 things to know this weekend