The holiday season is here! And this season tends to be full of gatherings, activities, and all kinds of celebrations. While we’re celebrating, and maybe running our kids here and there this month, why not learn a few new festive ASL signs to go with our season? Whether you’re a parent, teacher, interpreter, or just someone who loves ASL, learning holiday signs is a fun and considerate way to connect with others. So here are a few of the most popular holiday signs you can share this season!
Learning and using holiday signs isn’t just educational. It’s actually pretty fun for our kids. Children light up when they discover that they can communicate with their hands. And adults appreciate the inclusive environment it creates. So whether you use ASL at home, in your classroom, or at community events, these holiday sign can bring connection, enjoyment, and a bunch of fun.
CHRISTMAS
To sign the word Christmas, we’ll form a C with one hand and move it in a small arc as if outlining the shape of a wreath or tree.
We could use the Christmas sign on holiday cards or in classroom decorations. It can also be a special way to greet students, to start a seasonal lesson, or just to be happy about Christmas!
HANUKKAH
For Hanukkah, we open both hands with fingers spread, palms forward. Beginning with the fingertips touching in the center, we then sweep both hands outward in a gentle arc. This represents the nine candles of the menorah.
This Hanukkah sign could be used during lessons about the festival of lights or when attending holiday events.
HOLIDAY
To make the ASL sign for Holiday, we shape both hands like we’re making a 5, and touch them alternately to the chest to represent days off or special times.
This is a good sign to use when announcing school breaks, kicking off community events, or to celebrate any holiday, not just the December ones.
GIFT or PRESENT
Another one of the holiday signs you can share this season is the sign for gift. To sign gift, we bring both hands into an “X” handshape like we’re holding small ribbons. Then we move them forward as if offering something.
And this sign is perfect for talking about gifts, giving gifts, receiving gifts, or wrapping gifts.
SANTA
Santa is another one of the holiday signs you can share with your kids! The sign for Santa outlines Santa’s iconic beard. So we’ll use our dominant hand in a curved motion down the front of our chin as if tracing a fluffy beard.
We can use this sign when we take our little ones to meet Santa, as we read holiday stories, or just to learn a fun holiday sign we can share with others.
COOKIE
When we make the sign for cookie, we will place one flat hand palm-up, while we form the other hand into a curved C-shape and then tap and twist it as if cutting cookie shapes.
This sign for cookie is great to use for holiday baking, treats at our Christmas celebration, or even for classroom activities. Cookie is a holiday sign to share with the children in our lives. We’re sure they’ll love to learn this one!
SNOW
Since we’re in the snowy season in many regions now, it’s the perfect time to learn the sign for snow. To sign snow, we wiggle our fingers while moving our hands downward like falling snowflakes.
Hopefully, you live where you’ll have a chance to use this sign for snow. It’s also a holiday sign to share as you continue through the winter!
Choosing a Holiday Sign You Can Share this Season
The holidays are so full of experiences! And so this is a perfect time to use or learn some sign language to go along with those experiences.
And if you’d like to find even more ASL signs to learn, check out our free Signing Time Dictionary and all of the signing shows we have over at My Signing Time. We’d love to help you and your little ones expand your sign language abilities all year long.