Festive fingerspelling and signing

An illustration of two people wearing Christmas hats and looking at each other, smiling. The man wears a hearing aid.

Want to be more deaf aware this Christmas? We’ve put together some British Sign Language (BSL) fingerspelling challenges and signed phrases for you to learn!

Christmas fingerspelling challenge

Throughout December, we’re holding a festive fingerspelling guessing game. We’ll share images of finger-spelled words on our social media channels for you to try at home, and discover what they are.

Not on social media? No problem! We’ll upload the challenges on this page throughout December, too. Get cracking with these:

A festive fingerspelling guessing challenge, spelling out the letters:
C-O-U-N-T-D-O-W-N T-O C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

A festive fingerspelling guessing challenge, spelling out the letters:
L-E-T I-T S-N-O-W

Reveal answers 1 and 2

‘Countdown to Christmas’
‘Let it snow’

Reveal answers 3 and 4

‘Mistletoe’
‘Ho ho ho’

Reveal answers 5 and 6

‘jingle bells’
‘Merry Christmas’

The 12 signs of Christmas

Want to level up and learn some signed phrases? Our ’12 signs of Christmas’ will help to get everyone in the family signing and having fun, while becoming more deaf aware.

With signs for wishing someone ‘Happy Christmas’, to asking someone to ‘meet me under the mistletoe’, you can learn these phrases by watching our video:

Want to learn BSL?

Has this taster got you interested in learning British Sign Language? There are around 151,000 estimated BSL users in the UK. Learn a new skill and become one of them!

Learn BSL

Five ways to be deaf aware this Christmas

If you’re spending Christmas with family or friends who are deaf or have hearing loss, it’s important to consider how to make the seasonal celebrations enjoyable for them.

The deadline for ordering the Christmas dinner game has now passed.

RNID’s Christmas Dinner Game was created to ensure that everyone at your dinner table this Christmas can have fun together while being deaf aware.

Baking and BSL

Learn about baking and British Sign Language! Our Social Media Executive Stacey, who has been deaf since birth, shares some baking BSL terms.

What are ‘sign names’?

Have you been watching the Great British Bake Off? Did you see Tasha gifting Paul Hollywood his sign name in episode 1? Maybe you saw it but you’re wondering what a ‘sign name’ even is, and why it’s important?