AITA We started eating Thanksgiving dinner without my sister.
The original poster (OP) and their partner were hosting a significant family dinner involving eleven people, including relatives who had not seen each other in years and a newborn baby.
Leading up to the event, the couple informed a specific individual that guests were arriving at 7 PM and that this person needed to be ready and out of their room by that time.
Despite repeated reminders sent between 1 PM and 7 PM, the individual remained absent when the guests arrived and dinner was served around 8:24 PM.
After the meal began, this person eventually came downstairs upset that everyone had started eating without them, leading the OP to question whether they were in the wrong for proceeding.
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The central conflict revolves around the clash between the logistical necessities of hosting a large, time-sensitive event and the individual's apparent disregard for agreed-upon schedules and multiple warnings.
The OP feels justified in prioritizing the needs and hunger of eleven other guests, especially given the circumstances involving family reunion and a baby, while the other party appears upset about being excluded from the start of the meal.
Given the extensive warnings provided versus the individual's failure to appear on time for a major event, was the OP justified in starting dinner without them, or did initiating the meal cause an unnecessary escalation of conflict? The core question is where the responsibility lies for the breakdown in coordination.
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