When Rea Steen bought the Christmas card at Kress in downtown Vicksburg 50 years ago, she paid no more than a dime for it. There’s no way, though, to count the cost of delivery, for the card has been exchanged each year for the last half century by Rea and her sister Dede – and not by routine mail.

Rea says there’s also no way to calculate the pleasure it has brought to them, for the annual exchange has become a family tradition anticipated by both kin and friends.

And it all began by accident in 1956 when Dede lived in Tallulah. Rea sent the card, slightly wrinkled from one of her children carrying it around in his pocket. It got packed away with Christmas ornaments, and when Dede found it the next year she just reversed the &#8220to and from” and returned it to Rea.

The two grew up on Porters Chapel Road, went to Jett School, worked for Dr. Walter Johnston, then married and went their separate ways. Rea wed Bob Dubuisson, and Dede married Tom Stallings. Bob worked for Exxon, Tom for A&P. Jobs soon put miles between the families – from Tallulah to New Orleans to Meridian to Hattiesburg to Baton Rouge, and now back to Vicksburg where Rea has lived for several years.

&#8220We come from a long line of pranksters,” Rea said, &#8220so I kept the card and sent it back the third Christmas by registered mail.” Dede had gone to the post office to claim the letter. Her car broke down, it was pouring rain, she got soaked to the skin – only to find ‘the card’ from Rea.

&#8220She said she could have killed me,” Rea laughs, but instead she saved it. The pranks had begun.

Rea is the most recent recipient of the card. She and other relatives had gone to Baton Rouge to Dede’s grandson’s wedding, and nicely wrapped packages awaited each family member – and you guessed it – Rea’s was the worn card.

Fifty pranks are almost too many to remember, but there are some that really stand out in Rea’s mind: