It's not very often for friends to give each other presents during the spring festival. The Chinese spring festival is a rare occasion for family members to get together and eat a reunion meal at one table. Usually the old people will give money sealed in red pockets to the young generation. And relatives will visit each other's households with a basket of fruits, wines and/or snacks. It is more usual for friends to send each other best wishes through popular chat apps like WeChat (in the past, we sent each other handwritten cards). But as I have mentioned, it's more of a family festival. However, your Chinese friend would be very happy to receive a present from a foreigner during spring festival. Traditions can be boring, break the tradition and give your friend a surprise!!! Hope this helps! :)

you can if you are good friends, it is also usual in chinese, we often give allowance to child, give peculiarities of your hometown to good friends, but you'd better do it several days later, not exactly on January 1st.

当然可以，咨询你下你的其他朋友，春节可以送什么年货！

人不是只有跟家人一同生活的 春節期間還是免不了要拜訪好友 如果「空手到，兩串蕉」就顯得比較沒誠意了 (兩串蕉 - 雙手十指)