Dr. Milojević's Christmas blog as the perfect introduction to the most beautiful time of the year
It is Christmas Eve, four in the morning. A young woman from Zagreb, Dubravka, is awakened from her sleep by the sign of a new life beginning, and she immediately knows that the inevitable has begun. She had been dreaming of her beloved England and her future life in the land of royal castles and endless greenery, and slowly, to my quiet but now already very clear greetings, she returns to the reality of a cold winter morning in Zagreb. Secretly, she had wished for this to happen precisely on that holy day-and her wish came true. She wakes her husband, Boško, who had left the operating room only a few hours earlier, in the apartment where they lived, on the corner of Zvonimirova and Šubićeva streets. She opens the curtains overlooking the intersection of those familiar Zagreb streets, buried in snow. That night, they tell me, about 75 cm of snow fell. On that white Christmas, my mother brought the most beautiful gift, and since then holidays have been celebrated differently in our home-every Christmas Eve carries a reminder of the miraculous gift of life.
A blanket of snow on Christmas Eve, which once lasted well into spring, is today just a beautiful memory. Those were different times, when Zagreb often had a white Christmas and, despite the great cold, we enjoyed winter joys and the romance of whiteness… Times when old trams glided more quietly than usual along tracks covered by a snowy carpet, and a magnificent white coat adorned the streets of a city hushed in winter idyll. Snow crunched under boots, and the air was filled with the scent of cinnamon, cotton candy, and mulled wine.
My parents somehow managed to clear the snow off their VW Beetle and, as they told me, literally slid all the way to Petrova Hospital, where I was born. It was the seventies-distant and seemingly carefree times, without mobile phones, with only two TV channels, when kids spent the whole day outside in the snow, free of modern distractions. I vividly remember sledding down Kozarčeva Street, and I especially loved building snowmen, for which I always had a blue pot and a blue scarf with a small letter "d" ready.
Although we often recall the past with nostalgia, for me the world is still beautiful today, Zagreb is the most beautiful city, and Croatia the best country in the world. Even more so because now, unlike back then, Croatia is a free and democratic country-something generations dreamed of, including my father's generation.
I always say that there is no better country to live in than Croatia, and that is precisely why I returned to Zagreb 15 years ago. I believe it is our duty to make it better. I contribute through Futsal Dinamo, the TAMC congress, and my "small clinic." I enjoy what I do, but in everything I do, I strive to promote our beautiful country.
We know that the political situation in the seventies was challenging on a global level as well… it was the time of the Cold War, when the air carried the scent of imminent nuclear catastrophe… and when it comes to demystifying some of those "good old times," besides the smell of cinnamon, there was also the smell of coal-the air was heavily polluted. You were allowed to decorate the Christmas tree only a few hours before Christmas, and attending Midnight Mass was reserved for the bravest, because even the smallest "misstep" could cost you a "stay" on Goli Otok.
Likewise… it is true that mobile phones today are a major distraction for our kids, but modern technology, if used wisely and in moderation, helps our children like never before. My youngest daughter, ten-year-old Lucia, recently impressed me when she put together a PowerPoint presentation about the bones of the body in just one hour, complete with photos and amazing effects! I always look for the positive side in every life situation. For me, the glass is always half full, which is why I am not afraid of artificial intelligence, which many fear. As Yuval Noah Harari said-if the nations of the world agree and develop AI together, this wondrous technology will positively change the world, and we will control AI, eradicate diseases, clean the planet, and stop wars. But if we do not cooperate, AI will control us. I believe the better scenario awaits us-as I said, the glass is always half full for me!
I deeply believe in the strength and survival instinct of humanity, and I think a future awaits us in which we will combine the best of some "good old times" with modern technology.
And here we are, in the final days of this-for me excellent and very successful-year 2025. I'm checking long-term forecasts on the popular AccuWeather and feeling excited because they predict a few snowflakes for the holidays! I will welcome Christmas and the New Year in a "white city of Zagreb." With friends, sparkling wine, and the Grič Cannon at noon, I'll celebrate my birthday at Cvjetni Square, and then, now already traditionally, welcome guests to my home with cod prepared three ways, scampi, octopus salad, and oven-baked sea bass with potatoes, olives, and garlic. The Christmas tree is already decorated, and Lucia is eagerly awaiting the moment she can open the presents waiting for her beneath it. Hana and Max are already grown up, but their gifts are ready too, and they're just as excited as when they were little. That makes me happy, because I believe we must not lose that childlike joy as we grow older. Other members of my cheerful family are coming as well, so that together we can celebrate both Christmas Eve and my birthday, and welcome Christmas with a playlist ranging from traditional and less traditional Christmas songs, old Zagreb tunes, to football chants (of course, only Dinamo's), and on to Elvis, Frank Sinatra, ABBA, and Coldplay… One thing is certain-there will be singing and dancing, because that is our family tradition, unchanged for decades!
Had he lived, my father would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, and I cannot help but think that if he had lived to see this new era of artificial intelligence and longevity medicine, perhaps this Christmas Eve he would have danced with his Dubravka.
This brings me to my greatest love after family-esthetic medicine. I also wrote about this "invention," surely among the greatest of the 21st century, in my latest blog. It is a true revolution in our approach to the body and appearance, in the way we can look the way we feel inside! Today, aesthetic medicine is no longer just a luxury or a trend, but an opportunity, through carefully designed treatments, to highlight personality, confidence, and natural beauty-merging science and art into a harmonious whole.
If you are still reading this blog, then for all you loyal followers, as a kind of "Easter egg" (no, I didn't mix up the holidays haha), I have prepared 5 gifts for this Christmas, whether you wish to treat yourself or someone dear to you. On the occasion of my birthday and my father's great jubilee, we are treating you-these 5 treatments come with a 10% discount. When booking, you must mention the code Boško100, and you must reserve your appointment no later than January 15, 2026.
Top 5 treatments this Christmas with a 10% discount:
- Facial Botox, so you can enter 2026 stress-free and wrinkle-free
- Botox for excessive underarm sweating, so you can enjoy the holidays carefree by the fireplace
- 1 ml of dermal filler for perfect lips-for a kiss under the mistletoe or that first one as we enter the New Year
- HydraFacial treatment to make your skin glow in the New Year
- Painless hair removal with the Alma Soprano Titanium laser, so your legs and arms are ready for next summer without unwanted hair
Alongside these discounted treatments-which make an ideal gift to place under the tree for your loved ones or simply for yourself-Poliklinika Milojević offers a wide range of ideas for the perfect Christmas gift. From beautifully designed gift vouchers to more than 10 premium cosmetic brands, many available in elegant gift sets. There are also top hair-care products, as well as Nuchido TIME+ longevity capsules.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a successful, joyful New Year 2026! Let's keep our fingers crossed that a few snowflakes will fall this holiday season, bringing that magical feeling that takes us back to childhood. May the true Christmas of the past live again in our hearts-in the smiles of our loved ones, in the scent of roast turkey, the Christmas tree and cookies, in every moment filled with warmth, love, togetherness, and of course-beauty.