The brilliant planet Venus is still shining as the "Evening Star," and will be visited by the Waxing Crescent Moon on Christmas evening, December 25th.
Mercury—the planet closest to the Sun—is making an appearance low in the evening sky over the next few weeks. It will reach Greatest Eastern Elongation (farthest apparent separation from the Sun) on December 9th, then begin heading back toward the Sun and becoming lost in its glare by the end of this year.
(Shown about 45 minutes after sunset for mid-Northern latitudes.)
