II. CHRISTMAS, Incarnation and Birth of Christ.
III. EPIPHANY, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles: Season variable and may include six Sundays.
IV. SEPTUAGESIMA or the PRE-LENTEN SEASON; three Sundays: why God the Son came to earth; consciousness of sin.
V. LENT, including HOLY WEEK, GOOD FRIDAY, and EASTER EVEN;
Penitence and Amendment of life; Redemption by the Blood of Christ.
VI. EASTER, the Risen Life; teaching of the Great Forty Days.
VII. ASCENSION, the Hope of Glory.
VIII. WHITSUN TIDE, the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
IX. The TRINITY SEASON, the completed Revelation; the moralities of the Gospel.
In addition to these great divisions or seasons, there are the Holy Days dotting the Calendar—SAINTS' DAYS commemorating the grace given unto God's {54} faithful servants, and other Holy Days each having its special Scriptural teaching. (See FASTS, TABLE OF, also FEASTS.)
The value of the Christian Year cannot be too highly estimated, for after all has been said, the fact remains, that no better instructor in the truths of the Bible can be found than what is commonly called THE CHRISTIAN YEAR.