To sign 'bless', start with both hands in 'A' handshapes near your mouth, with your thumbs resting near your chin or lips. Move both hands forward and slightly downward while opening them into flat handshapes with your palms facing down. The movement should be smooth and gentle, as if you are bestowing a blessing outward.
Sign 'God', then use the sign for 'bless', moving your hands forward toward the person you are speaking to.
Sign 'family', then sign 'bless' with your hands moving over the area where the food is placed, followed by 'eat'.
Sign 'I', 'feel', and then sign 'bless', but reverse the movement so the hands start outward and move inward toward yourself to show you are receiving the blessing.
Sign 'God', then use the sign for 'bless', moving your hands forward toward the person you are speaking to.
Sign 'family', then sign 'bless' with your hands moving over the area where the food is placed, followed by 'eat'.
Sign 'I', 'feel', and then sign 'bless', but reverse the movement so the hands start outward and move inward toward yourself to show you are receiving the blessing.
While you can sign 'bless you' after a sneeze, it is not a strict requirement or common habit in Deaf culture. Many Deaf individuals simply ignore sneezes, offer a tissue, or might sign a variation of 'gesundheit'. It's perfectly fine not to sign anything at all.
Yes! 'Bless' is a directional sign, meaning the movement shows who is doing the action to whom. If you are blessing someone, move your hands outward toward them. If you are talking about being blessed yourself, start outward and move the hands inward toward your body.
You begin with both hands in 'A' handshapes, where your fingers are curled into your palms and your thumbs are resting alongside your index fingers. As your hands move forward and downward, they open smoothly into flat '5' handshapes with your palms facing the ground.
