It's more a east European thing. Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Balkan States.
This tradition is purely american - not known in Germany.
Pickle - I think more like "texture" of a pickle.
And who happens to look like a pickle after an attempted assassination with Dioxin:
Viktor Yushchenko - Ukrainian politician who was the third President of Ukraine from January 23, 2005 to February 25, 2010
See chloracne about his skin condition… pure pickle without the green.