Do we congratulate people for their achievements only, or does one congratulate them on occasions like Christmas too? Can one say?
Congratulation to you on Christmas!
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Related question: Why is it Merry Christmas instead of Happy Christmas?– ColleenVCommented Jun 4, 2019 at 11:23
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2 Answers
First, we typically use congratulations in the plural, so it would be:
Congratulations to you on Christmas!
However, to answer your primary question: No, we don’t use the word congratulations in this way. It may sound odd, but a word often used around special holidays is greetings, which is why you’ll see many cards with expressions like:
- Seasons greetings
- Greetings at Christmastime
In fact, these are even called greeting cards.
Congratulations are typically reserved for achievements, such as graduations, or some special occasions such as weddings. They could be used for a birthday, I suppose, although that may be regarded as humorous. The standard expression is simply, “Happy birthday!”
No, it is conventional to wish someone a happy Christmas. You would only congratulate them if they had achieved a notable milestone in their life such as "Congratulations on your 21st birthday" or "Congratulations on your promotion"
answered Jun 4, 2019 at 10:39
