The attempt to determine a body mass index for Manfred fails due to technical limitations.

The internet calculator is not designed for spruces.

"Your entry is too large" protests the form when we enter the weight of 6400 kilograms.

And the size of 2500 centimeters is also contradicted.

So we say from many years of experience with Christmas trees: The 6.4 tons with which the spruce from the Spessart was delivered to the Römer on Tuesday is a hell of a lot for a specimen of advanced age and a size of around 25 meters.

The trees, which more or less adorned the town hall square in recent years, measured around 30 meters but only weighed around five tons.

Matthew Trautsch

Coordination report Rhein-Main.

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The fact that we are so openly discussing Manni's weight here has nothing to do with fat shaming, quite the opposite.

Because for a spruce that wants to become a Christmas tree, the following applies: the heavier, the better.

Apparently Manfred got soaked with water in his home region, a slope near Lohrhaupten in the Spessart, despite the dry and hot summer.

The delegation from the Frankfurt Tourism and Congress GmbH (TCF), which chose it for the Christmas market a few weeks ago, estimated its weight at just three tons.

The fact that Manfred now weighs a lot more and therefore has fresh and flexible branches may have contributed to the fact that he survived the transport without injuries and also cuts a better figure than many of his predecessors in the vertical position, into which the heavy-duty cranes lifted him ,

"The purest firewood"

Of course, the usual critical Frankfurt audience still has something to complain about: Fire department head Annette Rinn (FDP) with “a bit unruly” and CDU city councilor Carolin Friedrich with “looks pretty disheveled” are still holding back.

The judgment of a Rödelheim pensioner who follows the spectacle from the elevated vantage point in front of the Ostzeile is clearer.

"It's just ugly, pure firewood," she scolds.

The objection that Manni has to be given a little more time to hang up the branches, she routinely brushes aside, only to surprisingly become forgiving at the end of her tirade: “If you then hang a few bows and lights on it, it’s okay.”

TCF boss Thomas Feda praises Manfred, who was selected under his aegis, not only dutifully, but with fervor.

The spruce is broad, healthy and strong and, because of its small size, a sign of modesty that fits in well with the times.

This also applies to the name, according to the tourism expert, who obviously knows not only about trees, but also about names.

"Manfred" comes from the Old High German "Manfried", meaning "man of peace".

So nothing should stand in the way of a contemplative Christmas market - it will open on November 21 at 5:30 p.m.