facts about Linen

• Linen is a fabric or yarn made from flax.
• Garments made of linen are valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather.
• Flax is the earliest vegetable fiber ever used. Linen 5,000 years old has been found in Egyptian tombs.
• According to some studies, linen effectively reduces the perspiration rate of a person 1.5 times more than cotton clothes, and twice more than viscose clothes. 
• All through history, linen has been used throughout the world.
• The word "linen" is cognate with the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek linon.
• Today, Ireland is the chief producer of linen. The finest flax fiber is from Belgium.
• The best linen yarn must be made hand.
• France, Germany, England, and the Netherlands are large producers of flax.
• The beauty of linen consists in the evenness of the thread. Linen with a round thread is considered better than that wi a flat thread.
• The heaviest linens are made into tents, sailcloth, canvas, carpets, and carpet backings.
• Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years.
• The fine linens are used for handkerchiefs, tablecloths, and fine clothing.
• Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth.
• In ancient Egypt, linen also was used as currency. Due to the strength of linen, paper made of it is generally very strong; due to this reason, today many countries use 25 percent linen in their currency.