The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on the evening of December 13, but the best viewing will be toward morning on December 14 after the moon has set. This is one of the most active showers of the year, often producing up to 50 visible meteors per hour in dark areas.
Winter begins in the northern hemisphere at the winter solstice at 10:58 AM EST on December 21. This solstice occurs when the earth's north pole is at its maximum tilt away from the sun. The summer solstice for the southern hemisphere occurs at the same time.
The Ursids run December 17–26, but even at their peak before dawn on December 22, you should only expect to see 5–10 meteors per hour. To make matters worse this year, the shower will be washed out for much of the night by a waning gibbous moon.