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 second semi-annual cash dividend payment for fiscal 2005. On February 16, 2005, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized the Company to initiate a cash dividend, at an annual rate of $0.25 per share of outstanding common stock. The first semi-annual payment of $0.125 per share was paid on June 1, 2005, to shareholders of record as of May 11, 2005. The second semi-annual payment of $0.125 per share will be paid on December 1, 2005 to shareholders of record as of November 21, 2005. The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is the leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles in the giftware industry. Yankee has a 35 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 16,339 store locations, a growing base of Company owned and operated retail stores (372 located in 42 states as of October 1, 2005), direct mail catalogs, its Internet website (www.yankeecandle.com), international distributors and to a European wholesale customer network of approximately 2,155 store locations (through its distribution center located in Bristol, England).