Written after World War II, it became one of Joaquin's “signature stories” that became a classic[1] in Philippine literature in English.
Together with Joaquin's other stories like The Mass of St. Sylvester, Doña Jeronima and Candido’s Apocalypse, May Day Eve utilized the theme of "magic realism" long before the genre was made a trend in Latin American novels.
[2] Published in 1947, it is a story originally intended for adult readers,[3] but has later become a required and important reading material for Filipino students.
While Badoy was characterized in the beginning as a promiscuous young man who wanted to prove his machismo, he realized that he was “deliriously in love” with Agueda.
[6] The short story had been adapted as an opera by a group of actors and actresses from the College of Music of the University of the Philippines.