As a native speaker, I can tell you that "congratulations" is more often used on occasions such as weddings, engagements, graduations, job promotions, and births (or expectant); but not so much for birthdays and other holidays, though it is not so much a matter of correctness here as it is custom. If you wanted to, though, you could correctly say: "I'm not going to congratulate her on her ...
Congratulations is simply the plural form of congratulation. See these examples from the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Let me offer you my congratulations for being elected. Please send her my congratulations. I sent her a letter of congratulations. The plural form illustrated by the examples above is much more used than the singular form: 2523 matches for congratulations vs. 56 matches for ...
The difference is very subtle : "congratulation" is congratulating, that is having some joy, some pleasure, perhaps by yourself and even secretly, for instance because you have won at the lottery ; congratulations" are the expression of that, for instance to a newly married couple. The word comes from Latin congratulatio, with exactly the same meaning.
For the sense of self-congratulation that implies smugness or excessive pride, the gesture of "shaking hands with oneself" would likely be executed in front of oneself, rather than above the head.
Is it appropriate to abbreviate "congratulations" as "congrats" or "congrads", or are both acceptable? I have seen the latter used very often which is why I'm asking.
At school I was taught that before the plural form we don't use the articles a and an. So why do people use a before big congratulations? Examples: A Big Congratulations to Dr. Wei Cheng on His La...