This custom is not exclusive to Hasidic Jews, which are a separate and more conservative offshoot of Orthodox Judaism. The tradition of covering kitchen surfaces with foil during the Passover, or Pesach, all has to do with ensuring the surfaces upon which food is prepared during the Passover week are free of chametz. Chametz refers to foods with leavening agents, which are forbidden during Pesach.

To prepare a house for "full Passover" if a family is strictly observant, it's not good enough to just throw away (or burn) all traces of chametz in the house. You have to thoroughly clean the home, especially the kitchen, to ensure it is 100 percent free of chametz, and many families will cover counters, stoves, and even the fridge and other surfaces with aluminum foil so that no food they consume during the week will have even trace contact with chametz.

While not every house takes the precaution of covering surfaces with foil, there is a lot of rigorous cleaning before Pesach to rid the home of chametz, and observant families often had a special set of cookware, dishes, and utensils they only use at Passover.