PHOTO BY SARA SHEIKH / THE SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

February is typically one of the coldest months of the year, however, people’s hearts are filled with warmth as they celebrate Valentine’s Day with their significant others. These photos depict the symbols of the love shared by everyone in the month of February — hearts, flowers, chocolates are just some of the most iconic symbols we see this time of year. I felt especially excited this year because I personally had the pleasure of celebrating my first Valentine’s Day with someone. It was such a special day where I was able to spoil my partner and they were able to spoil me. My partner gave me Roses, a stuffed animal, a hot chocolate that included heart shaped foam, and delicious Lindt Chocolates all depicted in the photos included in this collage. This experience made the making of this collage more exciting for me as I felt more connected to Valentine’s Day than I had in previous years. —Michael Pirillo, The Sputnik Photography