To not understand this?

[Miamarshmallows]

Friend has had a horrible year, redundancy, illness, death of a loved one. I have said to her that I hope 2021 brings lots of happiness and joy and she snapped my head off saying that was insensitive as hardly going to be the case.
Was I insensitive or is she being oversensitive?

I was just trying to be supportive.

Just wanted to add, when my brother died I found the prospect of a new year upsetting - like I was leaving him behind iyswim? Maybe your friend is feeling that way?

Either way op, don't beat yourself up about it - just apologise and move on.

I suspect she is feeling really anxious for this to be over and the news the other day about it taking a year for the vaccine to roll out amongst other things wouldn't have helped.

I hope 2021 brings lots of happiness and joy.

I think your statement was a bit OTT to be honest. Lots of happiness and joy really isn't in the near future for anyone right now is it? It would piss me off too and my year hasn't been as bad as your friends's.

I think a statement like "let's hope 2021 isn't quite so crap" would probably be more meaningful.