I don’t think they realize that they’re a process that much be followed in order to lead up to Holi. First, you have to plant Holika and then a month later, you have to burn her and then you celebrate. There’s a order that it must follow. You can’t just celebrate Holi without doing the first two.

There’s a reason we celebrate Holi and it’s not because we like throwing colors at each other. It’s much more than that but I’ll let you look it up for yourself instead of telling it to you. Hint: It has something to do with an avatar of Vishnu and a child who was his devotee.

Even the colors themselves have a purpose. In Hinduism, every color means something. Not every single color is appropriate for celebrating Holi. There are some that shouldn’t be used.

Also, not everyone can celebrate. This part mostly doesn’t deal with Hinduism but it deals with ethics. As Holi is a fun time and a time for celebration, people who have recently suffered death in their family should not be celebrating it. Instead, it should be a time of mourning for them. I knew an old lady who’s like a grandmother to me who goes to my mandir and she doesn’t celebrate Holi because her husband died.

Know what your celebrating. You can’t just celebrate Holi because you like it. How do you know that you’re not disrespectful the festival? Holi is the time to welcome spring and a time to give prayers. Many Hindus (myself included) visit our mandir before going out to play with the powder and abir. 

It has lost its meaning over time because have been trying to sell Holi as just a festival for playing with colors. However, Holi is also an auspicious day for Hindus and a day for us to pray. If you don’t know the true meaning of Holi, then you are in no position to be celebrating it.