Welcoming the Year of the Fire Horse: A Celebration of Tết at NUE
Once every 60 years. Celebrate at NUE. May this year bring you passion, prosperity, and bold new beginnings.
There’s a feeling that sweeps through Vietnamese homes as the Lunar New Year approaches, a sense of anticipation, renewal, and deep connection to something bigger than ourselves. It’s the sound of bustling markets, the scent of bánh chưng steaming in the kitchen, the warmth of family gathering around a table filled with dishes that has been carefully prepared to welcome new beginnings.
At NUE, Tết Nguyên Đán—the “Feast of the First Morning”—has always been one of our most cherished celebrations. It’s a time when everything we believe about Vietnamese culture comes alive: the elegance of tradition, the warmth of community, and the joy of gathering to share food, stories, and hopes for the year ahead.
This year, we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse—and with it, an energy unlike any other.
What the Fire Horse Brings:
Bold Action & Forward Momentum: This is a year to move—to pursue goals with courage and conviction
Passion & Enthusiasm: Fire amplifies the Horse’s spirited nature, igniting creativity and a zest for life
Clarity & Vision: A year of illuminating the path forward, fostering optimism and clear direction
Transformation & Breakthroughs: An invitation to shed what no longer serves you and gallop toward something new
The Meaning of Tết: More Than a Holiday
For those unfamiliar with Vietnamese culture, Tết is our Lunar New Year celebration—the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. But to call it simply a “holiday” doesn’t quite capture its significance.
Tết is a time of homecoming. Across Vietnam, millions travel back to their hometowns, reuniting with parents, grandparents, and extended family. It’s a time to honor ancestors, visiting graves and setting up altars adorned with offerings of fruit, incense, and the special foods that connect us to those who came before.
It’s also a time of renewal. In the days leading up to Tết, families deep-clean their homes—sweeping away the dust and misfortune of the old year to make space for fresh blessings. Once the new year arrives, sweeping is forbidden; you wouldn’t want to accidentally sweep away your good luck.
And of course, it’s a time of celebration. Families gather around tables filled with festive dishes—sticky rice cakes, braised pork with eggs, bitter melon soup symbolizing the sweetness that follows hardship. Children receive lì xì, the lucky red envelopes filled with money, and the streets come alive with lion dances, fireworks, and the bright colors of hoa mai (yellow apricot blossoms) and hoa đào (pink peach blossoms).
In Vietnamese tradition, the first days of Tết set the tone for the entire year ahead. Every word spoken, every action taken, carries extra weight. We believe that starting the year with joy, generosity, and togetherness invites those blessings to follow us through the months to come.
The Year of the Fire Horse: Once Every 60 Years
2026 brings something extraordinary: the Year of the Fire Horse.
In the Vietnamese zodiac, each year is associated with one of twelve animals and one of five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The combination of animal and element creates a 60-year cycle, meaning the Fire Horse appears only once in a lifetime for most of us.
The Horse itself is a powerful symbol in Vietnamese culture. It represents vitality, perseverance, and swift success. There’s a beloved phrase—mã đáo thành công—that captures this spirit: achieving success swiftly and smoothly, like a victorious horse arriving at the battlefield.
When the Horse meets Fire, these qualities ignite. Fire brings passion, dynamism, and bold transformation. It’s the element of creativity, enthusiasm, and the courage to pursue what sets your soul ablaze.
Together, the Fire Horse creates a year of unstoppable energy and forward momentum. It’s a year that demands action—not reckless movement, but purposeful pursuit of the dreams you’ve been nurturing. The last Fire Horse year was 1966, a time remembered for cultural shifts and bold change. 2026 invites us to embrace that same transformative spirit.
How We're Celebrating at NUE
At NUE, we’ve always believed that celebrating Vietnamese culture means more than serving Vietnamese food. It means creating experiences that honor our heritage while inviting everyone—Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese alike—to share in the beauty of our traditions.
This Lunar New Year, we’re going all in.
Year of the Horse Cocktail Collection: Our bar team has crafted three cocktails that capture the elemental spirit of the Horse year:
Fire Horse — A warm, spicy backbone of Bulleit Rye cuts through creamy coconut milk, brightened by lemon and tropical soursop, with pandan’s grassy sweetness and artichoke tea’s earthy finish. Bold, complex, and intriguingly balanced—just like the Fire Horse itself.
Water Horse — Watch this cocktail bloom with color as butterfly pea tea creates a mesmerizing transformation. Gunpowder Gin meets elderflower and lychee, with honey ginger adding gentle warmth. Floral, elegant, and flowing.
Earth Horse — Yellow Chartreuse blends with lush pear and Midori, softened by honey and brightened by lemon. Herbaceous and grounded, with a crisp fruit finish.
Each cocktail is an invitation to sip slowly, to savor the artistry, and to toast to the year ahead.
New Dishes for the New Year
Executive Chef Daniel Le has created new dishes that welcome the spring festival with bold flavors and auspicious symbolism. Launching February 16th, these additions to our menu embody the spirit of Tết: new beginnings, lucky ingredients, and the promise of good fortune.
We can’t wait to share them with you.
$26K Lucky Animal Dice Game
One of my favorite childhood memories of Tết is playing Bầu cua cá cọp—the animal dice game that Vietnamese families have enjoyed for generations. After receiving our lì xì envelopes, my cousins and I would gather around the game board, betting on which animals would appear when the dice were rolled. The excitement, the cheering, the friendly competition—it captured everything joyful about the holiday.
This year, we’re bringing that tradition to NUE with our $26K Lì Xì Giveaway.
Here’s how it works: For every $250 you spend dining with us, you’ll pull a lì xì envelope to reveal your animal. We roll five dice—and if your animal appears, you win. The more matches, the bigger the prize.
And because it’s the Year of the Horse? Pull a Horse, and you get a bonus match added to your roll.
Prizes range from premium spirits like Hennessy XO and Johnnie Walker Blue to our grand prize: a trip for two to Vietnam with $5,000 spending money.
It’s our way of sharing the thrill of Tết—the luck, the generosity, the celebration—with everyone who walks through our doors.
An Invitation to Celebrate With Us
Growing up, Tết was the most magical time of year. The celebrations would take over my entire life for weeks—the preparation, the cooking, the gatherings that stretched late into the night. I remember the excitement of getting dressed up, visiting the temple with my mom, then making the rounds to every aunt and uncle’s house to collect lì xì and play games with my grandparents until midnight.
When I founded NUE, I dreamed of creating a space where that larger-than-life celebratory spirit could live on—where Vietnamese traditions could be shared, experienced, and celebrated by everyone.
This Lunar New Year, we invite you to join us. Whether you’re Vietnamese reconnecting with your heritage, or you’re discovering these traditions for the first time, there’s a place for you at our table.
May the Year of the Fire Horse bring you passion, prosperity, and the courage to gallop toward your dreams. Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
With warmth and gratitude,
Tuyet Nhi Le
Tuyet Nhi Le
Founder & CEO, NUE Elegantly Vietnamese
