Bonfire of the vanities

Bonfire of the Vanities is a phrase that comes from a story written by the Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio in the 1300s. In the story, a group of people in a city were unhappy with the amount of vanity and pride in their city. To punish them for their vanity, the people of the city collected all of their expensive and luxurious items (e.g., jewelry, fine clothes, and other valuable items) and built a huge bonfire in the center of town. Then, everyone gathered around to watch as all the vain possessions went up in flames! It was a reminder to never let vanity and pride take over our lives.