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Global News Podcast

The Happy Pod: The magic of festive airport reunions

Global News Podcast

BBC

Daily News, News

4.27.8K Ratings

🗓️ 20 December 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Videos capturing the joy and emotion of families reuniting at Dublin Airport for the festive season have received thousands of views online. We speak to the team behind the cameras to find out why they wanted to share the messages of love. Also: meet the 'bubbliest' wedding judge in Texas. Judge Adam Swartz has gone viral for his ceremonies. We visit two rare grapefruit trees serving as a memorial to a community elder, who brought them from Grenada to the UK. Plus, a new world record for the number of golden retrievers in the same place at the same time and... knock, knock... it's time for a Christmas carol. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.

Presenter: Celia Hatton. Music composed by Iona Hampson.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

0:05.7

This is the Happy Pod from the BBC World Service.

0:14.8

I'm Celia Hatton, and in this edition...

0:17.9

Sometimes, to be honest, I'm there with the camera,

0:20.0

and I'm trying to wipe away the

0:21.7

tears so that we don't miss the reunions. It gets really emotional. It's a real privilege to be

0:26.7

able to capture that and call it a job. The airport workers spreading the joy of festive family

0:32.6

reunions, a rather unusual US judge. More bubble guns the better, I think.

0:38.9

For me, I provide something that no one else seems to be able to.

0:43.8

And I love doing this.

0:47.0

Performing courthouse weddings with a difference.

0:49.8

A rare tree continuing the legacy of a much-loved community figure.

0:54.8

They used to knock on the door and, you know, ask Marley, what is this tree?

0:58.4

Can I pick her fruit?

0:59.4

And she would actually be very punch.

1:01.0

And so, you know, you can get the broom and get that one, or you can pick if anything's on the floor.

1:05.7

And many people mentioned that the event was like heaven on Earth, that if heaven was something that we could see, that was it.

1:14.5

A record-breaking gathering in Argentina.

1:23.0

The arrivals hall in an airport is always filled with family and friends eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones.

1:31.3

Imagine bunches of flowers and handmade welcome home signs.

1:36.2

In the lead-up to the festive season, Dublin Airport has decided to capture these intimate moments of joy and reunion, and it's no surprise, these videos have won over

1:46.4

the hearts of thousands of people online. Two people stood behind the camera are Dana Baker and

...

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