The Yankee Candle Story

The Yankee Candle Story

In 1969 Michael Kittredge, a 16-year-old high school boy from South Hadley, Massachusetts, handcrafted his first candle as a Christmas gift to his mother using household wax, a crayon, string and a milk carton.  Before he could give the gift to his mother, a neighbor caught a glimpse and insisted that he sell it to her.

With the money he earned from his first sale, he bought enough materials to not only make another candle for his mother, but also to sell one to the next eager customer.  This was the birth of Yankee Candle.  With some help from his father he soon opened a small retail shop near Mount Holyoke College where his candles were introduced to highly enthusiastic customers.

50 years of passion, creativity, and innovation!  Yankee Candle exploded in sales and production over the next 35 years, evolving each step of the way.  Today, Yankee Candle employs more than 6,000 people worldwide.  Rigorous testing of fragrance strength and quality assure optimal performance in every candle produced.   Yankee has become the benchmark for quality in the candle world.

Experience this quality first hand at the Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, MA where every day is Christmas and there is something for everyone to enjoy.  In this 90,000 square foot magical village that snows inside year round, you can visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus who are always close by, make your own jar candle, sculpt your hand in wax and enjoy fantastic food and entertainment.  The fun doesn’t stop there . . . shop at the world’s largest candle store with more than 400,000 candles in over 200 different scents.  The Yankee Candle Village attracts more than 3 million visitors annually.