I’m always uneasy about the “Happy New Year” greetings that we belt out to anyone that we meet, either on social media or in person. Whenever I hear these words, I have a mental vison of a grinning Ken Dodd, manically waving his ‘tickling stick’, whilst singing that rather troubling song ‘Happiness’.  In reality, of course, we are not meant to be happy all the time, and we need the bad times to help us to appreciate the good times. I’m far happier with a greeting of “A Healthy New Year” than just focussing on the ‘Happy’ part, but I know that I am once again in danger of overthinking the issue.If you enjoyed this article, take a look at my websites: http://barriemahoney.com and http://thecanaryislander.com or read my books, podcasts and blogs about living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands.Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoney© Barrie Mahoney 2025