On the fifth and final day of the wedding, marking the conclusion of the festivities, the bride appears for the first time in public with her face uncovered — this is the Jiloua rites.
During the Jiloua ceremony, the traditional beautician, the Zayyana (henna artist), lowers the gottaya (a light silk veil) over the bride’s face and then lifts it.
The bride’s brother or a close relative displays banknotes, passing them over her head or forehead. This symbolic gesture represents money as a sign of ownership, good luck, blessing, abundance, prosperity, and well-being.
Traditional marriage in Djerba is based on two fundamental phases that form a dynamic sequence:
-
The Hijba (see Hijba scene), during which the bride is carefully isolated for a month and a half,
-
Followed by the unveiling on the wedding day — the Jiloua — in all its splendor.
