{"id":1784797,"date":"2026-02-17T17:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T14:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784797"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T14:38:34","slug":"tet-and-the-city-how-nycs-vietnamese-american-creatives-are-celebrating-lunar-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1784797","title":{"rendered":"T\u1ebft and the City: How NYC\u2019s Vietnamese American Creatives Are Celebrating Lunar New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/assets.vogue.com\/photos\/6994a210cddaab2f26483e6b\/16:9\/w_1280,c_limit\/00-TET-16×9-HR-NEWNEW.gif”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Living<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

T\u1ebft and the City: How NYC\u2019s Vietnamese American Creatives Are Celebrating Lunar New Year<\/h1>\n
\n
By <\/span>Lisa Wong Macabasco<\/span><\/span><\/span>Photography by <\/span>Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

If you listen carefully, New York City begins to hum differently in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year. Storefronts are papered with red envelopes, subway riders carry bags laden with fruit, and the multiple Chinatowns across the city\u2019s boroughs have a renewed, bustling energy.<\/p>\n

Photographer Anh Nguyen recently trailed six Vietnamese American creatives as they made arrangements for T\u1ebft, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year and the most important holiday in Vietnam. Between busy days, deadlines, shoots, and sets\u2014not to mention Fashion Week this year\u2014they build altars, steam sticky rice, phone family across time zones, and rehearse traditions learned at their parents\u2019 elbows. About 23,000 New Yorkers are of Vietnamese descent, making it a relatively small community compared with those in San Jose, Orange County, or Houston. Plus, \u201cthe New York put-your-head-down-and-hustle mentality can be isolating,\u201d as artist and actor Lynn Kim \u0110\u1ed7 puts it. \u201cWe’re missing the community here, so we gotta make it our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

For these stylists, chefs, DJs, actors, and designers, Lunar New Year is not a pause from creative life but an extension of it: vibrant arrangements of fresh yellow blooms across a cozy apartment; an elaborate spread of food, and even some records, to celebrate with your ancestors; cherished memories of falling asleep in the kitchen next to your parents making b\u00e1nh ch\u01b0ng. Preparation is less about spectacle than intention: a recalibration of space, spirit, and self. And with it the deep understanding that readying for the new year means honoring the old one\u2014and making space, deliberately, for what comes next.<\/p>\n

Th\u01b0 Ph\u1ea1m Buser, culinary artist and stylist<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

I grew up in the back of my mom\u2019s restaurant in Saigon in the \u201990s, and she always took the time to carve cute shapes into fruits and veggies before serving. One year, I picked it up to do centerpieces for my Vietnamese banquet event called \u0102n C\u1ed7, where I serve regional cuisine paired with stories about my homeland. When I host gatherings, I highlight some form of traditional Vietnamese art recontextualized into today\u2019s world; this year, more than any other, it is important for immigrants to feel bold when sharing parts of their culture. I thought it would be fun to teach everyone how to carve. It, of course, happens after some drinks but before the gambling on the dice games, because that\u2019s when we get rowdy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Duy Pham, art director and owner of Speaklow<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

I\u2019m decorating my Bed-Stuy brownstone with fresh flowers for T\u1ebft, a ritual I\u2019ve carried from childhood in Saigon. Growing up, fresh flowers were expensive, reserved for special moments; T\u1ebft was the most important. The holiday marks the arrival of spring in the Vietnamese calendar, and our house fills with yellow apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, and marigolds. On New Year\u2019s Eve, my dad and I would buy flowers together, and my brother and I would help my mom arrange them throughout the house.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Here in New York, winter still holds and we don\u2019t have the same blooms, so I gather whatever yellow flowers I can find. The ritual remains: a simple pleasure, a reminder that spring is coming. The flowers bring life to the art objects and memories my partner, Michael, and I have collected for our home gallery, Speaklow, from places near and far. When everything is in place, the space feels ready to welcome friends. Last year was slow, recalibrating. This Year of the Fire Horse feels different\u2014vibrant, ready for change.<\/p>\n

Quentin Nguyen-duy and Lynn Kim \u0110\u1ed7, founders of Viet Salon NYC<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Today we\u2019re buying decorations; flowers; b\u00e1nh t\u00e9t, a sticky rice cake filled with meat or sweet banana traditionally eaten on New Year\u2019s; cha, a Vietnamese sausage, for canh kho qua (bitter melon soup); red envelopes for giving money to younger relatives; and banh bo nuong, or pandan loaf, for traditional desserts. The more generations of Vietnamese pass in America, the easier it becomes to lose these traditions. Every T\u1ebft I look forward to the moment everyone arrives at the dinner to celebrate\u2014and the first cheers of the night: \u201cMot hai ba yo!\u201d \u2014Quentin Nguyen-duy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Lunar New Year is our biggest holiday, bigger than Christmas. It feels like the birthdays for all our ancestors. We literally put a spread out for them\u2014they\u2019re gonna eat, and we\u2019re gonna eat. There\u2019s this special moment when all the food is on the table for the altar and we all gather to light incense. It\u2019s a feeling of unity to honor our ancestors. The smell of the smoke is powerful, and I\u2019ll look over to my very American brother, and his head is bowed. It\u2019s just really beautiful. \u2014Lynn Kim \u0110\u1ed7<\/p>\n

Tina Le, graphic designer and DJ<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

When I was a kid, I watched my b\u00e0 ngo\u1ea1i (maternal grandmother) tend to our family ancestral altar for T\u1ebft. Now when I make offerings to my altar, music is a huge part of this process; it feels like I\u2019m partying with my ancestors. Lately, I\u2019ve been listening to contemporary electronic songs by Vietnamese artists from around the world that feature field recordings from Vietnam, including tracks by JakoJako, Kim D\u00fcrbeck, and Maggie Tra. With this music, I like to think about blessing everyone with positive energy for the new year. I have so much reverence for those who came before me to pave the way for where I am now. Coming from a family of Vietnamese refugees, I\u2019m incredibly proud of my family\u2019s journey, where I came from, and who I am now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Nhung Dao and Jerald Head, owners of M\u1eafm<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

When I was a child, the moment I looked forward to most was staying up late to watch my parents cook b\u00e1nh ch\u01b0ng (traditional sticky rice cake for Lunar New Year) through the night. I would fall asleep on a thick layer of rice straw in the kitchen just to keep warm and feel close to them. T\u1ebft was also the rare and special time when I got brand-new clothes, carefully chosen by my parents. I remember the sound of red firecrackers filling the yard, the sweet taste of m\u1ee9t t\u1ebft (the colorful traditional New Year candies and treats), and the excitement of receiving l\u00ec x\u00ec (lucky money). Those small moments felt magical and endless.<\/p>\n

Now, as an adult with my own family, far from my relatives in Vietnam, I treasure most simply the joy of gathering. Nothing fancy, just everyone together, eating, drinking, talking, laughing loudly. Watching my children, Viam and Avin, experience Vietnamese culture not as something distant but alive, fun, and truly theirs. We had poached chicken, sticky rice with jackfruit, spring rolls, Chinese sausage, braised pork belly, fermented vegetables, head cheese, and b\u00e1nh ch\u01b0ng.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

T\u1ebft now feels less about returning home and more about creating home wherever we are. I feel incredibly lucky that M\u1eafm is located in the heart of Chinatown in Manhattan. Being surrounded by the neighborhood\u2019s energy allows me to feel the spirit of T\u1ebft so strongly. Even far from Vietnam, I feel deeply connected, as if a small piece of home is right here around me. \u2014Nhung Dao<\/p>\n

Beverly Nguyen, founder of Beverly 1975, living editor for Family Style, and stylist<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Vietnamese people love a reason to celebrate! We\u2019re having a small gathering at the Beverly 1975 store in the Lower East Side. There is a lot of cleansing, mentally and physically, preparing floral arrangements for home and gifts. We had sticky rice wrapped in lotus root; b\u00e1nh ch\u01b0ng; and dumplings, including handmade dumplings from Hwa Yuan Szechuan, one of my favorite places in the city. (Chef Tang personally made these, with pork, shrimp, and chives.) My grandmother, who meant a lot to my family, passed away last year, and I\u2019ve been reflecting on how quickly traditions can die if we don\u2019t take time and care to pass them on and practice them in our everyday lives.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
Photographed by Anh Nguyen<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

[analyse_source url=”http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/tet-lunar-new-year-nyc-2026″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/assets.vogue.com\/photos\/6994a210cddaab2f26483e6b\/16:9\/w_1280,c_limit\/00-TET-16×9-HR-NEWNEW.gif”] Living T\u1ebft and the City: How NYC\u2019s Vietnamese American Creatives Are Celebrating Lunar New Year By Lisa Wong MacabascoPhotography by Anh Nguyen February 17, 2026 If you listen carefully, New York City begins to hum differently in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year. Storefronts are papered with red envelopes, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,50],"class_list":["post-1784797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1784797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1784797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1784797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1784797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1784797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}