We were in a war against darkness back then.  Every breath, every second, every dime, every possible resource within reach had but one righteous use, namely to be committed in unquestioning, loving service to the Lord of Light.  Christmas is a "time-out" for society but to Rawat and his followers back then there were no time-outs in the fight to spread Knowledge and enable Him to save the world.  Premies only had one use for Christmas, or any holiday for that matter, and that was as a propagation tool, a conversation piece to broach the subject of the Lord Incarnate and tell an astonished public that He was here again.  Rawat made that abundantly clear many times over that the last thing he wanted was for us to use this holiday as an excuse to feed our ignorance-born, ego-based identities as our families were so wont to do. 

For instance:

Christmas Satsang, December 25, 1979, as published in THE DIVINE TIMES, January/February, 1980.

'And there is only one path: to become a devotee, to completely dedicate, to completely be dedicated and to completely let go of this life...And the only reason for this existence is to be a devotee. And the only thing that ever happens is devotion. And this mind, body and soul are focused on one thing and that is devotion to Guru Maharaj Ji.'

'A devotee will follow their Guru Maharaj Ji wherever Guru Maharaj Ji goes and not be involved in anything else.'

Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace is that power that pulls you out....Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace is that power that saves a being. And only when we become a devotee, only then are we even capable of receiving that Grace.'

'And the ones who deserve it get it. When those devotees those beings who have recognized their Guru Maharaj Ji, those beings. And once I was just reading that statement of Kabirdas. And he says, 'PEOPLE WHO CONSIDER GURU MAHARAJ JI SOMETHING ELSE ARE DEFINITELY BOUND TO HELL.'' THERE'S NO IF'S, AND'S AND BUT'S ABOUT IT.'

'And what do you want for Christmas?...Nobody thinks about why Jesus came into this world. Nobody thinks of that: what's really true of Knowledge, why Jesus came as Guru Maharaj Ji for those devotees, revealed Knowledge to them, gave them that experience. Nobody remembers that. Because Christ came. His purpose, was for sat chit and anand. What he came in this world for, what he revealed in this world, was this Knowledge, that love, that devotion...For a devotee it's always Merry Christmas because there is never a time in this world when Guru Maharaj Ji isn't here.'

But I mean the devotee's prayer to Guru Maharaj Ji always is, 'Oh Guru Maharaj Ji, YOU ARE ALL-POWERFUL, you are all merciful. Save me. Give me that help that I need in my life.'

In the ashrams, we were certainly discouraged from relating to our families over Christmas.  And it all was because of satsangs like the above.  Anyone who says otherwise either wasn't there or, for whatever reason, won't or can't face the truth of the matter.