Passiontide begins on the fifth Sunday of Lent. During Passiontide, statues and crosses are covered with purple or red cloths. This practice has its roots in 9th century Germany. At the beginning of Lent, a cloth called a Hungertuch, or Hunger Cloth, covered the altar. On the Wednesday before Easter, the cloth was removed when reading Mark 15:38 in the Bible: “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” During the Middle Ages, statues of saints and other images were covered at the start of Lent. Beginning in the 17th century, veiling was limited to Passiontide instead of throughout Lent.

The Dominican Friars explain the tradition:    Why Are the Statues Covered?