Ci talk:1016880585
From Wenlin Dictionaries
Definitions of "congratulate" say it's something one does *after* the event.
E.g. "give (someone) one's good wishes when something special or pleasant has happened to them."
So a wording like "congratulate beforehand" is a contradiction in terms. Or if not, at least it seems to require some clarification.
I think that this wording is the result of an overly literal translation of something like HDC's definition 預先祝賀, and that in fact 预祝 means "to wish that something will turn out well (for somebody other than oneself)"
E.g. 在此預祝讀者新春如意、平安喜樂！ "We would like to wish our readers a happy and safe Chinese New Year." (NOT "We would like to congratulate our readers in advance for having a happy and safe Chinese New Year.")
