I have heard numerous variations of the seventh night where the spirit of the recently deceased is suppose to come back and have a final look at her/his family before heading to the underworld. There are methods where the families would do to determine whether he/she has really returned for that final visit. The methods are:
1. Sprinkling flour on the floor to capture footprints.
2. Having food out on a table, i.e. rice and if there is a depression on the surface of the rice, it means that the spirit had returned.
3. Taking his/her favorite things out and displaying them on the altar and if they have been moved around, it means that he/she had returned.

From a friend’s experience, this was what happened to her went her grandfather passed away a few years ago;

It was the seventh night of his death and the family was preparing for his return. They had all the stuff that was needed for this night, out on the makeshift altar at the front of the house. My friend and her family were ushered to sleep early but being at that age, my friend, her siblings, and cousins decided to stay up a bit longer to see whether anything freaky would happen. They didn’t have to wait long. Somewhere around 2am, they heard heavy footsteps accompanied by dragging of chains. This was like freaking them out. The footsteps passed their room and paused briefly before heading towards the bathroom where they heard the splashing of water. Then one of them remembered that grandfather was rather fond of taking midnight showers. At this moment most of them were shaking from the fear and decided to really call it a night.

The next morning, they found footprints in the sprinkled flour, depressions in the food and so forth. then my friend related the happenings to the rest of the family. Her grandmother was sobbing softly for she felt her husband touching her forehead that night and in a dream, she dreamt that her husband told her not to worry and everything would be alright soon. This revelation shocked the family. could it be an omen? and sure enough, my friend’s grandmother passed away a few months after that…

Another story from another friend…

That time when my grandfather passed away, we also have the 7th day thing. Btw, my grandfather died just by fainting out when he was at work! No reason or whatsoever. Sent for froscenic, no food poisoning or whatever. He was a smart and kind man. he chinese priest say we all cannot come out of the room. Must keep our door room shut. We cannot barge out of the room when we heard anything, cos it might be my grandpa’s spirit. Cannot let him see us. that’s what the priest say. We prepare rice and rice wine blah blah….and i think there are flour or whatever sprinkle on the floor to indicate him coming back.

That night i was sleeping like a pig and it was damn crampy cos imagine 5 ppl sleep in one room! There was a particular time he will be back. Anyway i was sleeping then the next morning, after i woke up my mom told me that my grandfather did come back…cos

1) there are footprints on the floor
2) the vegetables and food was on the table not in the dish anymore…some of them not the whole plate.
3) the wine was spilled on the table too
4) my grandpa, mom and aunties heard chains…heavy chains dragging on the floor. I think it’s the Bull and the Horse guards guiding my grandpa. We are talking abt chains here ya know!

Anyway, they also say that if ur relative died and if he/she really really love u dearly he/she will appear in ur dreams! Well, i dream of my grandpa for quite a couple of times. all of them are nice dreams…but a bit in a wierd way…I guess my grandpa loves me dearly =) i was quite close to him…and i think by now he has recarninated. Hope he has a better life now.