Carnival has an interesting etymology and it is tied in with the
Christian season of Lent. Lent begins on Wed. The word Carnival
literally means "to remove meat"?

French: Carnaval Italian: Carnevale from the Latin carnelevarium,
carnilevamen or derived from the original Latin: Carnem Levare . .
to remove meat . . or . . down with meat . . or . . farewell to meat.

As with Mardi Gras (French for fat Tuesday), carnival is celebrated
on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of Lent,
when people have to start fasting from meat. In the old days
Carnival was another name for Shrove Tuesday or Shrove-tide.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Trivial Notes: to shrove or confess (repent) your sins, and to begin
fasting (from meat).

Certain Eastern Rite Christian churches start their Lent on the
Monday before Ash Wednesday and skip the Tuesday festival!

The start of lent is based on the astronomical setting of the
Easter date (which is close to the astronomical selection of Passover). In the Western church, Ash Wednesday can be as early
as February 3 and as late as March 9.

Lent is supposed to be “40 days” of fasting but there are 46 days
between Ash Wednesday and Easter. This is because Sundays are not
counted in the fast!