Contrary to expectation, the popularity of traditional Christmas cards is not melting away like the season's first snowfall.

The number of paper holiday cards being mailed through old-fashioned snail mail is not only holding steady, but may even be increasing.

"Based on all of the data that we're seeing out in the marketplace right now ... we're actually seeing an increase in the number of people reverting back to sending paper cards," said Carol Miller, executive director of new product concepts at American Greetings in Cleveland.

An estimated 2 billion cards are sent each year, with Christmas being the largest card-sending holiday for Americans. Card sending has remained relatively steady over the last five years, with minor fluctuations in sales often related to increased postage rates or people's busy schedules keeping them from finding time to make out cards, said Barbara Miller, Greeting Card Association spokeswoman.

Twenty paper cards are mailed for every e-mailed, or e-card, sent. Although e-cards are more affordable than paper cards -- many e-cards are free or available for a small fee -- they aren't coaxing most people away from sending traditional cards.

E-cards have "been around for quite a while, but [they are] basically considered a supplement ... for traditional greeting cards," said Deidre Mize, Hallmark spokeswoman. "Most people will either keep their Christmas cards and display them and that's difficult" to do with e-cards.

There was a "decline in e-cards way before the economy was bad. They don't replace paper cards, and we think that is going to continue," she said.

To meet the demand for the real thing, card companies have developed new ways to jazz them up for the holidays.

Adding LED lights, music and three-dimensional paper engineering, or pop-ups, to iconic holiday images such as Santa Claus or a Nativity scene are ways American Greetings is giving some cards a modern twist.

These "greeting cards truly enhance the experience for the consumer with technology," said Carol Miller.

Recordable photo frames are other new cards American Greetings created for the holidays. People can insert a photograph inside and record a 10-second message by pressing a chip concealed in the card.

They "enable the consumer to personalize [the card] by adding a little bit of themselves and make it a more personal connection," Carol Miller said.

Recordable photo frames run around $6.99. Cards with lights and music are $7.99. These are sold individually and require extra postage.

Hallmark also is adding the personal touch with its DVD Greetings, which are cards that come with an access code to an online template people can use to create DVDs featuring holiday animations, music and up to 20 of their own pictures and captions. The DVD slips into the card to be mailed to friends and relatives. Extra postage is needed.

DVD Greetings are "taking [the] holiday newsletter to the next level," Ms. Mize said. They come in nine designs for $9.99 a piece. A box goes for $19.99, with each box including four cards and DVDs.

Cards that play holiday carols and allow customers to record a brief message inside came out more than a year ago and have been popular so far this shopping season.

"The ones with the [voice] recordings are fairly new, but they are starting to catch on, and people have started coming in and asking for them because of the advertisements and [because they're] so unique," said Ginger Greek, manager at Laurie's Hallmark at Fifth Avenue Place, Downtown.

Similar cards by American Greetings also have caught customers' attention.

"Most of the time people are looking for the [card] that is out of the ordinary to give to somebody," said Michelle Ewing, assistant manager at American Greetings at South Hills Village. "It doesn't even seem like the price matters. People will pay $8 for a card."

Even flashy lights, DVDs and music can't replace what's at the center of every holiday card -- the message inside.

"One of the key elements to any greeting card ... is that they are heartfelt," said Carol Miller of American Greetings. "What the card says is by far the most important."

Messages in some of Hallmark's cards this year address the shaky economy with phrases like we "realize this has been a very difficult year, but the most important thing is that we have friends and family around us," Ms. Mize said.

Regardless of what a card says or how high-tech it is, Carol Miller said holiday cards share a common purpose.

"It's all about celebrating the time of year that brings family and friends together."