Tatarin

"The Summer Solstice", also known as "Tatarin" or "Tadtarin", is a short story written by Filipino National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin. In addition to being regarded as one of Joaquin's most acclaimed literary works, the tale is considered to be controversial. The story narrates a ritual performed by women to invoke the gods to grant the blessing of fertility by dancing around a Balete tree that was already a century old. Joaquin later turned this short story into a play entitled Tatarin: A Witches' Sabbath in Three Acts, on which a film adaptation has been based.

Tatarin, also sometimes spelled Tadtarin, was a three-day traditional fertility ritual involving women and held during summer in the Philippines. The last day of the festival coincided with St. John's Day; a Catholic feast. Men dressed as women were able to participate in the pagan celebration. It is similar to the fertility rites of Obando, Bulacan.

Apart from being considered as Joaquin's personal favorite, The Summer Solstice was also one of the most anthologized. Although popular, it was also regarded controversial due to conflicting interpretations about the masterpiece. Filipino literary critics had debated over the ending of the story, questioning what was victorious in the narrative. The items in conflict were paganism against Christianity, the primitive against the civilized, and the status of men against the status of women.

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