What did carnival originally mean?

A carnival is a Cuban holiday. :D

It may be Cuban, but it's much older than that. It is the feast or festival before the beginning of Lent ( a period of fasting and abstinence leading up to Easter).

The origin of this Word goes back to the Middle Ages in Italy where 'carne levare' meant 'the taking away of meat' In French the Word for Lent is 'Carême' which also has connections with this idea.