YCC Yankee Cdle

The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. ("Yankee" or the "Company") (NYSE:YCC), the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles, today announced the declaration of its semi-annual cash dividend payment for fiscal 2006. The semi-annual payment of $0.125 per share will be paid on June 1, 2006 to shareholders of record as of May 11, 2006. The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles in the giftware industry. Yankee has a 36 year history of offering distinctive products and marketing them as affordable luxuries and consumable gifts. The Company sells its products through a North American wholesale customer network of approximately 17,000 store locations, a growing base of Company owned and operated retail stores (381 located in 42 states as of April 1, 2006), direct mail catalogs, its Internet website (www.yankeecandle.com), international distributors and to a European wholesale customer network of approximately 2,300 store locations (through its distribution center located in Bristol, England).