Yesterday evening, out to see the lights of Lyon, I found myself in the park of la Tête d'Or, on a path with lights and sounds so surreal…and relaxing ! A real moment of happiness after a day of hard work.

How to propagate the Virus of Happiness?

In fact, it's quite simple !

  1. Answer this question; "What makes, or has made you, happy?" and become a Happiness Agent
  2. You earn some "Points Of Presence" (POP)
  3. You invest your Points in the city of your choice
  4. You spead the Virus of Happiness around the world.

What is the virus of happiness and how it works?

What is Happython?

And how does it work?

About Happython

Happython was founded in 1998 on this simple question: "What makes you, or has made you, happy?".
The answers of many people were printed and then exposed-pinned on clothes dryers called "Porte-Bonheurs".
These exhibitions took place in galleries, public places, post offices and finally on the web.
The idea of a Happening Record of happy moments has germinated: the Happython and the Happiness Virus have been created!
For more than 20 years, tens of thousands of people between the ages of 2 and 109 from all over the world have testified about what makes them happy.
Now it’s your turn!

What makes them or has made them happy?

The idea of free time makes me happy. Let me explain: life is such that we are always doing something, stressed, running around, always going faster... So, to programme some free time, time to do nothing, is an idea that gives me a real sense of happiness.

My fall in the bus this afternoon because a good-looking boy gave me a smile and helped me to get up

Exposition citatine

Happy to hear you smile...

Richard , 27 years old, Paris (France)

I'm happy every morning when my man snuggles up to me saying: “good morning, darling, I'm here next to you”. I shiver.

What makes me happy is to talk to people and to learn something from them.

Sofiane , 30 years old, Béjaïa (Algérie)

What makes me happy is seeing my girlfriend in the morning on the train tell me « until tonight, my love, » and then leave listening to Chuck Berry singing « Johnny B. Goode. »

Nicolas , 18 years old, Toulouse (France)

What makes me feel really happy is to be free to act, speak and realise my dreams.

Hazar , 26 years old, Tunis (Tunisie)

What makes me happy is that people read the little Happython phrases that I cut out of the newspaper and paste on the walls in my bathrooms. Even Charlotte, who is preschool, sometimes takes more than twenty minutes.

Maïwenn , 28 years old, Champigny-sur-Marne (France)

What makes me happy ? To create.

Jacques , 68 years old, Paris (France)

Walking barefoot and feeling the sun under my feet.

Mary , 21 years old, Aix-en-Provence (France)
Exposition citatine

Laughing and playing with my son and swimming in the ocean

Tracey , 43 years old, Cowes (Australie)

A kind of happiness that will never pass away is giving birth to a child, it is the most beautiful happiness to my mind.

Evelyne , 46 years old, Namur (Belgique)
Exposition citatine

My 14 years old son has a very worn stuffed bear and I hadn't been able to find one just like it to replace it. Today, I search online and I finally found it. I order four in advance and I feel like the happiest of all mothers.

Chloé , 22 years old, Reims (France)

What made me happy was to make a break in my job in order not to work any longer, to decide to care about myself and now to give priority to my happiness.

Béatrice , 51 years old, Bruxelles (Belgique)

My little world makes me happy… I first of all have all my pets: Loulou, Fofinha, Nina, Cleo, Cesar, Micas they are my dogs who, I can assure you, are also very happy with 3400 feet of field and two little houses… My cats: Tigrao, Faisca, Princesa who have 4 little kittens Milady, Aramis, Dartanhan, Portos… My tortoises whose names are: César and Cléopâtre…. My birds in big cage…

Silvia , 23 years old, Pombal (Portugal)

What makes me happy is feeling so small in front of a stormy ocean, smelling the spray on my face : I simply feel content, and I realize the futility of all my little everyday worries.

Soizic , 24 years old, Montréal (Canada)

As far as I'm concerned, what made me happy was to meet this great guy who I really love a lot.

Lina , 30 years old, Tigzirt (Algérie)

What makes me happy is listening to Metallica while petting a kitten.

Pauline , 20 years old, Toulouse (France)

What made me happy...I was five years old, I wanted a little sister and I got one the day before my birthday. That was my best gift!

Benjamin , 22 years old, Romainville (France)

What makes me happy is the day when my mother told me that she was happy to have a daughter like me.

Kadi , 18 years old, Madrid (Espagne)
Exposition citatine

My relationship makes me very happy. I really have the impression that I create that every day. What allowed me to live this relationship, was when I started to respect myself and to listen to myself. Of course the other person senses that and naturally comes to you without effort. Afterwards the secret is not to tie the net, not to become a living prison, but on the contrary to open up the space with kind attention and love. Programme for a beautiful relationship: - Respect it – Listen to oneself (and the other too !) – Encourage light thoughts towards the other – Continue as if you were alone - Love the other person tenderly - Have fun together.

The light and sparkles in children's eyes sometimes make me feel like crying with happiness.

Sabrina , 27 years old, Mitry-Mory (France)
Exposition citatine

Yesterday it rained, I strolled along the ocean, a photo was taken, a kiss, a laugh, warmed up again in a cafe, shared a chocolate cake and cherry tea.

Nelly , 26 years old, Nantes (France)

What makes me the most happy is the love of my future husband who, despite leukemia, helps me to overcome all in life.

Lucie , 33 years old, Deux-Montagnes (Canada)

What makes me happy is to read every morning the Happython when I'm in class. It puts me in a good mood for all the day.

What made me happy ? It is probably slight …I met a totally exceptional man on a chat one year and ten days ago (de visu).

Marianne , 38 years old, Liège (Belgique)

Hearing that a friend is expecting a baby makes me happy.

What makes me happy is that my scientific experiments are progressing.

Amira , 26 years old, Monastir (Tunisie)

Laughing and playing with my son and swimming in the ocean

Tracey , 43 years old, Cowes (Australie)

What made me happy was leaving for Bordeaux.

Lisa , 19 years old, Madrid (Espagne)
Exposition citatine

Hearing someone whistle will always be for me, synonymous with happiness. Thans Papy.

Mélanie , 21 years old, Toulouse (France)

The idea of free time makes me happy. Let me explain: life is such that we are always doing something, stressed, running around, always going faster... So, to programme some free time, time to do nothing, is an idea that gives me a real sense of happiness.

Exposition citatine

A child's spinning top on the carpet. What a pleasure to approach it, having watched it from afar, the memories coming back of those exquisite moments where colours mingled and filled rainbow eyes. I lean over, touch the top and play with it and that simple pleasure warms my heart, it turns, turns, turns...

What made me happy is when I was offered a chimpanzee, which was my dearest dream.

Ophélie , 21 years old, Valenciennes (France)

Oh… little everyday trifles make me happy … a smile, a hand in mine…a look, a laughing child…happiness is very relative…but we must know to appreciate the little things.

Angela , 40 years old, Benidorm (Espagne)

Each morning on my way to work, I read the newspaper and I hurry up to read the Happython. Often I find myself in what was said. Today, it's my turn. What makes me happy is going to bed early and waking up late when I don't have to work.

Aline , 45 years old, Villepinte (France)

I'm happy when I travel !

Boudriss , 38 years old, Mantoue (Italie)

What makes me happy is seeing the face of Kalé, my coworker, light up when I make him read the last Happython

Sidney , 21 years old, Paris (France)

As far as I'm concerned, what made me happy was to meet this great guy who I really love a lot.

Lina , 30 years old, Tigzirt (Algérie)

I am happy when I do well in my studies.

Merieme , 20 years old, Agadir (Maroc)
Exposition citatine

Happiness is in my nature, I always say that the sun is shining in my head. What makes me happy is loving life and every day there's always the same intensity inside me.

Hamed , 35 years old, Marseille (France)

What makes me happy is little everyday moments like for example : sitting on the edge of a lake and contemplating nature, horsebackriding in the woods, among other examples.

Carine , 32 years old, Granby (Canada)
Exposition citatine

I thought it was only possible to die from sadness. But one day I nearly died from happiness when the man I had always loved from afar, but only ever hoped to talk to, came and talked to me. It was the most beautiful day of my life.

Sanaa , 25 years old, Casablanca (Maroc)

I am happy to have a large family and a girlfriend who shares my vision. I am happy to have a lucky star in my life professionally, financially, and for leisure, love and health.

What makes me happy is my man's love.

Martine , 43 years old, Wavre (Belgique)

I found a job after a long laborious search and that made me happy.

Mariem , 23 years old, Agadir (Maroc)

What made me happy was rowing with my father one night with a full moon, at 4 in the morning, in the Parana delta in Argentina.

Eugénie , 27 years old, Buenos Aires (Argentine)

Life is at the base. I know well that there are ups and downs, it's like that, but there's the fun and that's what makes me happy.

Cynthia , 16 years old, Saint-Jérôme (Canada)

What makes me happy : Luigi who plays the guitar !

Vanessa , 21 years old, Rome (Italie)

What made me happy ? After loving lots of men, I fell in love with a woman and for that wonderful love, I gave up men and my former way of life. But it is worth while, I love and I am loved, peaceful and completely happy, that great affection…

Gisella , 51 years old, Paris (France)
Exposition citatine

What made me happy : learn that Caro and Math are excepting a baby !

Vanessa , 21 years old, Rome (Italie)

Smelling the scent of my children makes me happy.

Mireille , 45 years old, Madrid (Espagne)
Exposition citatine

What makes me happy is being with my family, spending time together, feeling all of their love, expressing how I feel, telling them, showing them.

Yves , 55 years old, Eragny (France)

What makes me happy is that my three and a half year old son gets angry if someone wants to smush an insect or when he asks us to be quiet to not scare a bird.

Marie-Noëlle , 32 years old, Ham-sous-Varsberg (France)

What makes me happy is that, though I am agoraphobic, I have made a great friend Pascale thanks to Internet, and I thank her for having friendly feelings for me.

Julie , 39 years old, Bruxelles (Belgique)

What makes me happy is seeing that the head of a busy bar can stop working for two minutes because he saw a blind man trying desperately to walk across a crosswalk and help him cross arm in arm… that really make me happy to witness scenes like that ! Long live solidarity between people of all horizons !!

Greg , 20 years old, Nice (France)

What makes me happy is the shivers I get when I hear a song that moves me.

Cécile , 16 years old, Orleans (France)

The fact that I've met my soul mate makes me happy.

Sadek , 26 years old, Béjaïa (Algérie)

What makes me happy is doing a task that, I feel, fits with me and my personnality.

Anna , 45 years old, Naples (Italie)

What makes me happy: to know that even far away, we can count on friends !

Vanessa , 21 years old, Rome (Italie)
Exposition citatine

I no longer remember exactly when, But it was approximately in 1996 that I decided to “do something with Internet” It took me until April 1997 to get together the equipment, the connections and the supplies, but then bang, I saw photos of people far away appearing before my eyes, with immediacy of connection and of memory. Wow. For each question I had to do with actual things, ideas or sources of ideas, or how to do something, etc. etc. I could find the reply in a few minutes, and that's when I realised: One doesn't need to know how to reach one's goal before one has decided it - simply dream it and the answers to how you can succeed are on Internet – even if you wish to work towards an enlightened planetary civilisation…

What makes me happy is feeling so small in front of a stormy ocean, smelling the spray on my face : I simply feel content, and I realize the futility of all my little everyday worries.

Soizic , 24 years old, Montréal (Canada)
Exposition citatine

What makes me happy are those lives I dream of and those dreams I live in.

Raked , 22 years old, Stockholm (Suède)

What makes me happy is the sunset above the sea.

Andrade , 52 years old, Lisbonne (Portugal)

My 14 years old son has a very worn stuffed bear and I hadn't been able to find one just like it to replace it. Today, I search online and I finally found it. I order four in advance and I feel like the happiest of all mothers.

Chloé , 22 years old, Reims (France)

What makes me happy is the happiness of others surrounding me.

Andrade , 52 years old, Lisbonne (Portugal)

What makes me happiest is laughing, with time, over things I've cried a lot about. That's how I finally tell myself that life is too beautiful but it's us who often see the world in black.

Aysel , 20 years old, Macon (France)

What makes me happy? The sun, books, wine, when I have a good idea, a good conversation

What makes me happy : all the young people getting involved in the life of a new family…and those babies continuing life.

Brigitte , 50 years old, Chatellerault (France)

I'm happy when I'm part of the happiness of the people around me.

Soade , 40 years old, Casablanca (Maroc)
Exposition citatine

What makes me happy!!! Well, I'm only 17 years old, so my happiness is far from complete, but I'll say that what makes me happy is seeing people smile.

Mary , 17 years old, Terrebonne (Canada)

What makes me happy is to create as many problems as possible.

Jeanne , 27 years old, Paris (France)
Exposition citatine

What makes me happy is leaving work on Friday afternoon and walking in Bordeaux for an hour savoring each minute of the beginning of my weekend !

Jean-Steeve , 23 years old, Bordeaux (France)

What makes me happy is to have the possibility to organize a great party with all the family where my brother could come with his children.

Chantal , 37 years old, Tervuren (Belgique)

What makes me happy is to live without any worries.

Soufiane , 28 years old, Tébessa (Algérie)