Are you ready for the New Year?

view in browser update subscription preferences Sunday 12.29.19 As 2020 approaches, we're again faced with a perennial question: When exactly does the decade begin and end anyway? Here's what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart. By Harmeet Kaur & Eric Levenson Five people were stabbed while celebrating Hanukkah at a rabbi's home in a New York suburb. A small plane crashed on its way to a college football playoff game, killing five people. A Thai Navy SEAL died from an infection contracted during the cave rescue of a youth soccer team last year. Barack Obama listed his favorite books of the year. LSU and Clemson both won in the college football playoffs, setting up next week's championship game. The last day of Hanukkah Jews around the world celebrate the eighth and last day of the Festival of Lights on Monday. As the Jewish people reclaimed the Second Temple of Jerusalem in the 160s BC, a small amount of oil to light the menorah ended up lasting eight days. Monday marks the day of that miracle. Happy New Year! Say goodbye to 2019 and get ready to ring in 2020 on Wednesday. As you're nursing your champagne hangover, check out CNN's roundup of photos that shaped the past year and the 100 defining photos of the decade. US takes over the G7 presidency The United States takes its turn in the one-year rotating G7 presidency on Wednesday, with plans to revamp how the group of top industrialized nations is run. President Donald Trump has said he wants the G7 to be smaller and more nimble, with a simplified program.   The nation's toughest privacy law goes into effect Why has your inbox has been getting filled with privacy notes lately? The California Consumer Privacy Act becomes law on Wednesday. The landmark act, which regulates how to collect and store data, could set a precedent for the rest of America. The world's oldest person turns 117 Japanese woman Kane Tanaka, the oldest living person on the planet, celebrates her 117th birthday on Thursday. Cheers to another year! A pivotal court challenge for Trump The Justice Department will appeal a judge's order on Friday requiring former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify before a House committee. It's a test of the Trump administration's claim that White House aides are immune from testifying under oath. The same day a court hears arguments on whether the DOJ must turn over materials from Mueller's investigation to the House. Watch the first meteor shower of the year The Quadrantid meteor shower, one of the best annual shows in the night sky, peaks late Friday into early Saturday. Those in the Northern Hemisphere have the best chance of seeing the bright, fireball meteors. All you need is the dark, open sky between midnight and dawn.   Advertisement Ditch your New Year's resolutions Setting goals for the new year is great in theory, but let's be real: When was the last time you stuck to them? Instead of giving up altogether, one of our editors tried a different approach. Find out how that worked out for him and check out the rest of CNN's weekend reads.   'The Mandalorian' finale is out The Star Wars miniseries closes out its first season (spoiler alert) with treats for both new and longtime fans, proof that the series really is THAT good, our entertainment reporter Sandra Gonzalez writes. Watch on Disney+. Ring in the new year with CNN Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are back for a third year co-hosting "New Year's Eve Live" from Times Square. The shows starts on Wednesday at 8 p.m ET on — where else? — CNN. 55 essential movies from the 2010s If the end of the 2010s has you feeling nostalgic, now is the time to revisit some of the decade's defining films. We promise it's not all franchises and superhero movies. NFL regular season ends 32 teams face off today in the last day of the regular season. Games start at 1 p.m. ET and continue through the evening. Here's the schedule and how to watch. The first round of the playoffs kicks off with two Wild Card games on Saturday. New Year's Six bowl games conclude The last three major college bowl games take place this week. Florida faces Virginia in the Orange Bowl game on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. On Wednesday, it's Oregon and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. ET and Georgia and Baylor in the Sugar Bowl at 8:45 p.m. ET. Watch on ESPN.  NHL Winter Classic comes to Texas The Nashville Predators play the Dallas Stars on Wednesday in one of three regular season NHL games played outdoors. Watch at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.   This will be our year Maybe you had a great 2019. Maybe you're looking forward to finally turning a new page. Whatever the case, here's to better beginnings in 2020. (Click here to view video) Advertisement Share Tweet ALL CNN NEWSLETTERS update preferences or unsubscribe CNN Five Things shows up in your inbox every weekday at 6 a.m. ET and on Sundays at 9 a.m. ET. Like what you see? Don't like what you see? Let us know. We're all about self improvement. Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Sign yourself up! Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters. Copyright © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to CNN's 5 Things newsletter.