The Vancouver Public Library has created a very nice web page with
links to topic about Chinese New Year, Chinese Zodiac, and an upcoming
Chinese New Year celebration on January 29th.  Check out the
Multilingual department Chinese New Year web page.

Here is a brief look! Happy Chinese New Year! The origin of the Lunar New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years, involving a series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year's Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises.

Even though Lunar New Year celebrations generally last for only several
days, starting on New Year's Eve, the festival itself is actually about
three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth
lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to
heaven to pay their respects and report on household affairs to the
Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. There are a lot of rituals and
costumes for this special festival.