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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think 10-15 min late is optimal. Somehow arriving right on time seems odd to me (unless it's like your sister or best friends house and then presumably you're doing it so you can help). It screams -- I've never been invited to a party before and I want to take advantage of every single second of it.

As for the Indian standard of being an hr late -- I'm Indian and my family did that only for big events where we knew we wouldn't be missed. If someone invited me and another family for dinner -- no way would I be an hr late -- as it holds up eating for everyone. For the big big Indian parties (you know -- your standard 500 people in a reception hall parties), I think it matters a lot less because dinner is served when it's served no matter how many are there. [/quote]

I always thought people were fairly late to Indian parties bc they are REALLY long. It isn't odd for a party to end around midnight, so do you really want to get there at 6 pm? The worst etiquette I've ever seen was at an Indian party though. Graduation party starting around 6 pm. While I'm Indian, I was one of the school friend invitees, so I couldn't be super late -- got there around 630-ish. No freaking food served -- besides one mini samosa and a glass of coke -- by the time our high school group ditched that party at 10 pm and hit McDonalds. I'm sorry -- if you don't want to serve friends, don't invite them. If you do want to feed everyone, then start feeding them at a reasonable hour no matter who is coming or going -- keep the party buffet style with "courses" if you have some inclination to keep people there all night, but starving your guests leaves a bad impression.[/quote]

OUCH! Not serving lots of appetizers when your guests start arriving is bad form.  If it is any consolation these sorry excuse of hosts were universally criticized and condemned by other Indians. [b]You can bet there were comments about the family background and upbringing of the hosts - these things do not go unpunished.[/b][/quote]

Lol. Yeah it was odd to me altogether. Being Indian I knew that our high school group would be there on the early side, but I couldn't convince my non-Indian friends to delay more than 30 min. But as it got into 7-8 pm, it seemed like most people were there --  including the graduate's own extended fam etc. and hardly any food in sight. No idea when/if dinner was actually served bc after 4+ hrs of starving, my group couldn't take it anymore. I've been to plenty of Indian parties where the start is often over an hr late, BUT if people do arrive on time (as American guests typically do as do those with young kids or those who had to drive a long way as they know they won't be staying  late) -- I feel like the caterers/buffet is up and going. Frankly there have been many parties where I've spent so many hrs snacking on hot appetizers that my the time dinner is served, I can take it or leave it.[/quote]

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