Abstract:
The "Fantasia" or "laab el Baroud" or "laab el Kheil" is considered a wonderful ceremony
that distinguishes our rich and diverse Algerian heritage, and a model of mass
celebrations, and known entertainment for a long time, which characterized the
Maghreb region exclusively, and is linked to a host of local events, whether social events
(weddings, circumcision ...) or religious (Zerda, moussem ...) or nationals (revolution,
independence ...) and even occasionals (presidential visit, ministers ...).
The "Fantasia" becomes important to prove cultural identity, and inflame the patriotic
spirit, and animate traditions, and strength the community association, and disseminate
cultural values, by bringing together the largest number of people in a huge ceremony,
which lasts for hours of fun and enjoyment, and that remains in the minds of days and
weeks.
The "Fantasia" always formed one of the most significant cultural characteristics of the
North Africa region, including Algeria, but which however has not attracted enough
academic attention, making it a subject interesting for research, to know its history, its
civilizational foundations, cultural practices, aesthetic and artistic forms.
Therefore our research comes in the context of the socio-anthropological study of this
phenomenon through an interdisciplinary holistic approach that aims to study the
phenomenon of these different aspects, in an attempt to answer the question:
Is the "Fantasia" just a simple traditional ceremony of knights and horses and
gunpowder, or it exceeds all that to be a global social phenomenon?
