We veil them, but usually for Holy Week. Last year they were unveiled before the Easter Vigil. I didn't see it done and don't know who did it. For us, it is more a matter of few people who keep up with cleaning before the Vigil, ordering and placing flowers, assembling candles for the congregation, and etc. It seems we have to do things around the schedules of available people.

Hm, the altar cross is changed to a white veil for the Mass of Holy Thursday, but other than that, only plain violet is used. (I have read that there were multiple colors used throughout Lent in medieval England though).

Pre 1955: Veils removed, candles lit and altar decorated during the litany (which was before Kyrie, Gloria and Mass).

EF/1962: Candles are lit and the altar is decorated during the litany (the 2nd part, after baptismal font business is done), but veils aren't removed until during the Gloria.

OF/2002: The Gloria is in a different place (before the litany/baptism) and it doesn't mention veils specifically, but the altar candles are to be lit during it... this is the place where most of churches I've seen bring out the flowers and un-veil images.

It seems that a somewhat dramatic re-decoration of the sanctuary during the Vigil is part of the tradition of veiling images, but doing so during the Gloria specifically is an unwritten hold-over from the reformed/post-1955 ceremony. (Which is still in use of course, with the 1962 Missal).

Since previously the images were uncovered roughly when the vestments were changed (from violet to white), a case can be made that for the modern Vigil, with only white vestments, images might be uncovered beforehand as well, especially if there are logistical issues, such as statues in inconvenient locations.

MatthewRoth: Sorry by that I meant the six altar candles. I've never participated in it, but looking at the pre-1955 ceremony, the lamps in the church are lit (or turned on) during the Exsultet, which even pauses while the sanctuary lamps are lit, but not the six altar candles, which were lit during the litany, i.e. right before Mass. (And post-1955, the lamps are lit/lights are turned on after the 3rd 'Lumen Christi', when everyone's candle is lit.)

The rubrics of the Roman Missal are clear about the timing. The rubrics for the Fifth Sunday of Lent state: "In the Dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from this Sunday may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil." Thus, everything should be uncovered before the Easter Vigil begins. I've always seen violet veils used. The rubrics are also clear for Good Friday that the cross used for the Adoration of the Holy Cross is covered with a violet veil.